Quadrille by Balenciaga c1955

Quadrille by Balenciaga: launched in 1955. Created by Francis Fabron.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a fruity chypre fragrance for women. A beautiful composition combining fruits, flowers and heady spices with a breath of fresh assorted citrus notes resting on a chypre accord of oakmoss.

• Top notes: Sicilian lemon, Calabrian bergamot, plum, peach, orange
• Middle notes: Dutch honeysuckle, Taif rose, lily, Zanzibar clove, Ceylonese cardamom, Grasse jasmine
• Base notes: Florentine iris, Tyrolean oakmoss, Mysore sandalwood, ambergris, Tonkin musk

The New Yorker, 1956;

"A new challenger in this field is Balenciaga's quaintly charming Quadrille, while Tuvache's worldly Algiers is getting increased attention from women who prefer fruit- laden perfumes. Faberge has a new offering that is on the heavy, sultry side, and therefore controversial, its called Flambeau and the rose in it has a struggle against the lily and the spice."

Bottles: 

The original parfum was housed in a lovely square crystal bottle with a cylindrical faceted stopper. The parfum was available in the following sizes;

• 1/4 oz
• 1/2 oz
• 1 oz
• 2 oz
• 4 oz
• Purse Spray

The original Eau de Toilette was available in the following:

• 1.75 oz
• 4 oz
• 7 oz
• 15 oz
• 32 oz

Quadrille was also available in Bath Oil and Talcum Powder.

To open the classic Balenciaga crystal flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Balenciaga themselves in 1963:

Briefly immerse neck of bottle in boiling water; loop strong twine around neck and with a seesaw motion add more heat. The top is treaded, easy to hold firmly, twists off without difficulty.

In 1990, the bottle was given an updated look.