Perfumier fined for racism

Elderly French perfume maker Jean-Paul Guerlain had used the French word "negre," literally translating as "negro," in a 2010 interview on France-2 television when asked how he had come up with a perfume fragrance. A court in Paris fined the 75-year-old 6,000 euros ($7,962) on Thursday for the remarks, which prompted legal complaints and even protests outside the Guerlain store on the Champs Elysees avenue in the French capital.

Guerlain apologized to France's black community during the trial, calling his choice of words "imbecilic," but maintaining that he was "anything but racist."

"I am from another generation," Guerlain said during the trial. He said his choice of words was once a common expression and that he deeply regretted his misguided attempt "to make the journalist laugh."

When asked in 2010 how he had come up with the scent for the famous Samsara perfume line, Guerlain said: "For once in my life, I set to work like a negro. I don't know if negroes always worked quite like that, but anyway…"

Guerlain also pointed out his long periods spent traveling West Africa seeking new fragrances for his perfumes.

The empire sits back

The Guerlain company and its owner, luxury brand giant Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), both distanced themselves from Jean-Paul Guerlain's comments. Guerlain described its 75-year-old heir's choice of words as "unacceptable," also saying how Jean-Paul Guerlain had not held any shares in the company since 1996 and had not been on a salary since 2002, when he retired. Guerlain remained a consultant to the company in subsequent years.

LVMH faced similar problems last year when designer John Galliano, working for subsidiary Christian Dior, was convicted of anti-Semitic comments. He received a suspended fine of 6,000 euros.

French police had also said earlier in March that they were investigating separate allegations against Guerlain, after three employees of the high-speed rail firm Eurostar filed a complaint against him. Guerlain missed a train from Paris to London after arriving late, allegedly launching into a tirade against the three workers, two of whom were black and another of Asian descent.

Guerlain is the great-great-grandson of the Guerlain company's founder, Pierre Francois Pascal Guerlain, who opened his first perfume boutique in Paris more than 180 years ago.

msh/acb (AFP, AP, dpa)