The man behind French beauty brand Sisley has passed away at the age of 89. Hubert d’Ornano, who founded the brand in 1976, died on 25 September.
D’Ornano is acclaimed for being a pioneer of phyto-cosmetology, once stating: “I love the countryside. I am aware that, thanks to modern technology, it is in plants that one can make the biggest discoveries, not only for medicine, but also for cosmetics.”
Over the 40 years at the helm of Sisley – working alongside his wife Isabelle and children Philippe, Christine and Elisabeth – d’Ornano spearheaded the growth of the cosmetics brand. Today Sisley has 30 subsidiaries, and markets and distributes its products in more than 90 countries.
In 2007, d’Ornano and his wife crated the Sisley-d’Ornano Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de France. The Foundation was formed to deliver charity work and philanthropy across sectors in France and abroad. An example of the work carried out by the Foundation was the restoration of the fresco of the Church of Our Lady Assumption, the seat of the Polish Mission in Paris.
A year later, d’Ornano became a published author, releasing his memoirs, Boundless Beauty. At the time, he revealed his motive behind the book was to “tell this personal, family and collective story to safeguard it, to pass it on to my descendents. To share it with those who use and love Sisley and those who have contributed to its development.”
D’Ornano was born to Guillaume and Elisabeth d’Ornano on 31 March 1926 in Melgview, Poland. At the age of eight, he moved to France and attended the Saint-Martin de Pontoise school. His first taste of business came aged just 20, when he and his brother Michel founded the perfumery company Jean d’Albret. He also went on to found the skin care range Orlane, with his parent and brother.
Today, Sisley has more than 4,000 employees from 100 nationalities. It specialises in skin care, fragrance and colour cosmetics.
