Cassandra by Parfums Weil was first introduced in France in 1935 and made its debut in the United States in 1936. The perfume arrived during a rich and transitional moment in global culture—a time that straddled the final flourish of the Art Deco era and the growing unease of a world inching toward war. In both its name and olfactory composition, Cassandra was designed to evoke both elegance and mystery—an intellectual scent for a woman of presence.
The name "Cassandra" originates from Greek mythology. In ancient Greek (Κασσάνδρα or Kassandra), it was the name of a Trojan princess blessed with the gift of prophecy, yet cursed so that no one would believe her predictions. In English, the name is typically pronounced KASS-an-druh (with emphasis on the first syllable). The word carries with it layers of meaning—beauty, sorrow, wisdom unheeded, and a certain romantic fatalism. To choose the name Cassandra for a perfume in 1935 was a sophisticated and emotionally charged decision. It conjured images of a woman who knows more than she says, whose gaze is distant, perhaps haunted, but undeniably alluring. She is not merely decorative—she is complex.
At the time of the perfume's release, France was navigating the interwar years—an era often referred to as les années folles (“the crazy years”) in the 1920s, giving way to a more somber 1930s marked by political unrest, economic depression, and mounting international tension. Yet it remained a deeply creative time, particularly for women. Fashion had grown more refined and structured after the relaxed lines of the 1920s; couturiers like Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet offered dramatic silhouettes, while jewelry and cosmetics embraced a sense of surrealism and sophistication. In perfumery, the 1930s saw the rise of aldehydic florals, warm orientals, and scents that favored elegance and evening wear. Perfume was not merely an accessory—it was part of the performance of womanhood, a scented expression of identity and poise.
