Cacharel

Jean Cacharel SA

Company type	Private
Industry	Fashion, Perfume, Accessories
Founded	1958 (1958)
Founder	Jean Bousquet
Headquarters	Paris , France
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jean Bousquet (founder)
Products	Ready-to-wear apparel, perfume, accessories
Owner	Jean Bousquet family (80%), Novinvest (20%)

Jean Cacharel SA () is a French enterprise focused on ready-to-wear apparel, perfume, and accessories, founded in 1958 by Jean Bousquet. The label is recognized for its youthful aesthetic, feminine charm, delicate elegance, and vibrant color palette. Its name derives from the regional term for the garganey duck native to the Camargue area.

History

Founded in 1958 by Jean Bousquet, a French politician and former mayor of Nîmes, Cacharel originated from his background in a family involved in garment manufacturing. Trained as a tailor and experienced as a designer, Bousquet launched his fashion house in Paris’s Le Marais neighborhood. The success of his initial collection paved the way for Cacharel’s establishment.

The brand achieved global acclaim in 1963 with the debut of the seersucker blouse and a prominent feature in Elle. Over time, distinguished designers such as Corinne Sarrut, agnès b., Lolita Lempicka, Emmanuelle Khanh, Atsuro Tayama, Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, and Clemens Ribeiro have shaped Cacharel’s creative vision. Between 2009 and 2011, women’s design was directed by Cédric Charlier before Ling Liu and Dawei Sun took over.

From 2009 to 2012, Cacharel granted global production and distribution rights to the Aeffe Group under license. In 2010, after fourteen years of licensing, the men’s wear segment was sold to Turkey’s Aydınlı Group. By 2014, the company halted its children’s and men’s collections to refocus solely on women’s ready-to-wear but later revived menswear in 2019.

In 2016, to reinforce brand visibility through innovative retail concepts, Cacharel enlisted architect Jean Nouvel to design its stores across France.

Licenses and partnerships

Since 1975, Bousquet collaborated with L'Oréal to develop perfumes for Cacharel, launching the iconic Anaïs Anaïs in 1978. Subsequent fragrances include Cacharel pour l'Homme, Loulou, Eden, Noa, Amor Amor, and Scarlett. The scent "Liberté" combines citrus top notes with woody bases inspired by French heritage.

Christian Bernard Group holds the jewelry and watch licensing rights. Other licenses encompass business gifts by Plastoria, tableware produced by Hankook, notebooks from Clairefontaine, and underwear by Éminence. Temporary partnerships featured collaborations with brands such as Eastpak for bags in 2009 and Uniqlo for t-shirts in 2011.

In 2012, Cacharel entered a four-year licensing contract with Hong Kong-based Mondottica for manufacturing and worldwide distribution of optical frames and sunglasses catering to women, men, and children.

Campaigns

Gisele Bündchen served as the ambassador for Liberté and represented Cacharel Parfums. Kate Moss appeared as the face of Anaïs Anaïs while Laetitia Casta represented Promesse. In 2018, British-Ethiopian singer-songwriter Izzy Bizu became the face of the fragrance Yes I Am.

In 2022, Shay Mitchell launched a lipstick-inspired fragrance bottle in partnership with Cacharel. Actress Skai Jackson was named the new ambassador for the Yes I Am Bloom Up! fragrance in 2023.

Criticism

In 2022, Jean Cacharel faced backlash for continuing its business activities in Russia despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, attracting negative attention due to ongoing sales while many companies were urged to exit the Russian market.

Shareholding

The ownership of Cacharel is predominantly held by the family of Jean Bousquet, who control 80% of the company, with the remaining 20% owned by Novinvest, a branch of Rothschild.

Fragrance

Prominent perfume collections include:

Perfume	Year Released	Fragrance Notes
Anais Anais	1978	White lily and hyacinth
Lou Lou	1987	Iris and plum
Eden	1991	Citrus accords