Jacomo has its origins in the late 1960s. American James Kaplan and Frenchman Gerard Courtin met in New York, on 5th Avenue. Both men had a great love for art, music and design. Pooling their common interests, they created the fashion brand “Jacomo” (taking the "Ja" from James, the "Co" from Courtin, and the "Mo" being added to give the name a musical touch) and opened a boutique where they offered their designs to the chic trendsetters of New York.
Their first fragrance launch, Eau Cendrée for men, was launched in 1970, in a distinct geometric package, to great success. Eau Cendrée's female companion, Chicane, was launched just one year later.
Fragrances become the brand's main stock in trade after the success of 1972's classic female scent, Silences (still in production today), in the distinctive round black bottle. The company would eventually purchase production facilities in Deauville. Always with an eye for design, a series of successful fragrance launches in the 1980s and 1990s kept the Jacomo name in the hearts and minds of perfume lovers. Classic men's scent Jacomo de Jacomo was launched in 1980. Women's fragrances Parfum Rare was launched in 1985, in a distinctive trapezoid bottle, and was later re-christened as Coeur de Parfum..
The 1990s saw the launch of a series of "couple" perfumes for the brand. Anthracite for men and for women was launched in 1991. Paradox for Women was launched in 1998, followed by her companion Paradox for Men in 1999. (Both scents would later be named Paradox Blue, with the launch of the Paradox Green pair in 2003). The Aura pair, with corresponding green and yellow bottles followed in 2000.
Parfums Jacomo was acquired by French company Sarbec Cosmetics in 1995. Sarbec is taking the Jacomo brand in a different direction in the second decade of the 21st century. The brand's classic fragrances from the 1970s through the early 2000s are still in production, but a new line of luxury fragrances was launched in 2010 with the Art Collection series. Inspired by pieces in the collection of the Jacomo founders, and taking their names from number of the piece in the collection, the Art Collection fragrances are re-introducing the brand to a new and modern perfume audience. The "pair" concept continues in 2011, with new sleek modern packaging and trendy scents of the It's Me collection for Men and Women.
