Jean Patou launched Joy in 1929, creating one of the best-known perfumes associated with the French fashion house.
Joy was developed during the economic crisis that followed the Wall Street Crash. Jean Patou positioned it as an exceptionally luxurious fragrance, using a notably high concentration of jasmine and rose. Its lavish composition helped it gain the reputation of being one of the costliest perfumes in the world.
The perfume’s name is often confused with the fashion designer’s name or with later products called Joy. In fragrance history, however, Joy specifically refers to the Jean Patou perfume introduced in 1929. Jean Patou’s fragrance business later changed ownership, and the brand became part of Designer Parfums in the twenty-first century.