Although the art of Haute Couture has long been dominated by the French, it owes its inception to an Englishman, Charles Frederick Worth. He moved to Paris in 1845 and worked at the House of Gagelin. In 1857 he formed his own company ‘The House of Worth’ in Paris.

Within 10 years Worth had become a highly influential and respected couturier. He broke away from the tradition of ‘dressmakers’ and became the first ‘dress artist’, an incomparable ‘dress composer’.

The House of Worth was one of the first couture houses to extend its name to luxury perfume. It was the creation and development of the Worth fragrances that ensured the legacy of Worth and its heritage. Jean-Philippe and Gaston Worth continued the family tradition and developed Les Parfums Worth in 1924 with the introduction of the first fragrance, Dans la Nuit.