Empreinte Courrèges 1971 Eau de Toilette

Courrèges' Empreinte was one of the first fragrances I knew by name. The reason for this is based on the probably most famous coming-of-age film of my generation: 'La Boum: the Super Party - Parents Not Allowed', which made the then thirteen-year-old Sophie Marceau an idol for an entire generation in her first role as Vic Beretton not only in France. Much of what we found appealing about France at that time originated from La Boum: here, kisses were exchanged, and one danced the 'klammerblues'. Suddenly, it seemed desirable to duck under a shared jacket and run after a departing bus - and even fundamentally silly names like 'Pénélope' and 'Samantha' (Vic's best friend and her little sister) sounded - pronounced in French: 'Peeneelopp' and 'Ssamonnta' - somehow quite cool. I knew girls back then who would have taken a boy just because his name was Mathieu.

But because the world is not a children's birthday party, Vic's father François has an affair with the perfume saleswoman Vanessa (who seduces him at home in a bunny costume - not all French women are like that, we would learn later), in whose shop his wife Françoise (!) goes after discovering this affair and there - before she causes a bit of a scene - asks: 'Do you have Empreinte by Courrèges?' By the way, something that never occurred to me for years, oh what: decades - when she inquires about Empreinte, she had already been holding its (rather distinctive) bottle beforehand - it was quite obvious that the director was not an intimate connoisseur of perfume.

Vanessa describes Empreinte as '...so to speak glowing romance, interspersed with a slightly exotic note - very refreshing and sensually sparkling at the same time...', an assessment that I must admit I do not share with her. The fragrance was considered extremely modern at its time, and despite the numerous flowers and fruits, it has a rather austere strictness that makes it not entirely uncomplicated in combination with its powerful architecture. On a self-assured woman in her mid-thirties, I find it - or rather its relaunch for the 50th anniversary of the Courrèges house - very beautiful and almost winking Old School.

Conclusion: Richard Sanderson became a one-hit wonder of the early 80s with 'Reality', the refrain of which I quote in the title - just like later the Cook da Books with 'Your Eyes', the title song of 'La Boum II: the Party Continues'. By then, Vic had already traded Mathieu for Philippe (Pierre Cosso!) - and Courrèges' Empreinte no longer played a role, which is almost a bit of a shame because: it is a rare and fine fragrance.