Chale Indien by Fragonard: launched in 1921. The name means "Indian Shawl", and the fragrance was very heavy on the patchouli. The shawl in this case refers to the exquisite cashmere paisley shawls from India. An intricately designed shawl could take up to eighteen months of labor, and the weavers protected their work by shipping it in boxes filled with the leaves and stems of dried patchouli, which served as an insectifuge during shipment to England and Europe. The characteristic aroma became a “trademark” of Paisley shawls. Patchouli first became known in Britain in about 1820 when it was used to impregnate Indian shawls which became so fashionable that the designs were copied by the Paisley weavers for export to many other parts of the world.
