Dossier
Edition · 000Status · Active. Bestseller.
An innocent white floral with green hyacinth.
- Founder
- Jean Bousquet
- Country
- France
The pyramid
- Top
- hyacinthhoneysucklewhite lilyorange blossomgalbanumbergamot
- Heart
- jasmineroseylang-ylangtuberoseirislily-of-the-valley
- Base
- sandalwoodcedarvetiveramberincensemuskleather
The brief
Designed as a deliberately gentle, youthful white floral against the heavy chypres dominating the late 1970s — and to capture the teen and pre-twenties market that mainstream perfumery had ignored.
NameNamed after the Persian goddess of love Anahita, doubled to evoke duality (innocent and sensual).
Why it mattered
- Launched the modern 'young feminine' category; became the world's bestselling perfume in 1980 and held that slot for several years.
The flacon
Frosted-glass flacon shaped like an opium-poppy bud, with a milky-white cap — designed to feel like a delicate object in a teenager's hand.
Footnotes
- Sarah Moon's soft-focus pastoral ad campaign defined a generation of 1980s perfumery marketing aesthetics.
The Curator's Note
Sold the world the idea that teenagers also have a fragrance budget.