Perfumer Josephine Catapano, formerly of International Flavors and Fragrances, passed away earlier this week at the age of 93.
Catapano was the perfumer behind Norell by Norell and Estee Lauder Youth Dew, among others. She was the recipient of the Cosmetic Career Women's Award in 1980 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Perfumers in 1993.She is also frequently mentioned as a mentor to perfumer Sophia Grojsman.
You can read her obituary here.
(hat tip to Joe)
I’ve just read her bio and found out she was the creator of the original Shiseido Zen, amongst others. Thank you, Josephine, for giving us joy.
And I’m sure she made many others that we don’t know about!
I’m sure she lead a wonderful life. 93 years is an outstanding age.
RIP my dear. I wish all perfumers could live forever!
I’m sure they do too 🙂
I will wear Norell this weekend in her honor. What a great American pioneer!
From the sound of it, she really was a pioneer.
Based on the little that I’ve read about her, she sounds like a remarkable person. This weekend, I’m going to bust out my full range of Youth Dew–scented products.
I am feeling guilty that I don’t own a single one of her scents — so far as I know, since she must have done others.
I think we can all say we own and love scents inspired by Youth Dew. YSL Opium(the original)is “Youth Dew with a tassel”, and I quote the great Lauder herself here. If you own a rich oriental with gravitas, you probably own a Catopano fragrance by proxy! I love that Estée Lauder hired Josephine to do such an influential and important perfume.
Sorry! I meant Catopano!
Look at that! I give up….I misspelled it again! Catapano!
I own and appreciate all four of those on her list, and Youth Dew was one of my early signature scents. Amazing that one person did all those sixties icons!