The story behind the Kennedy cologne Eight & Bob smells like pure fiction — and now the fantasists behind the scent admit it.
A disclaimer in fine print in the brochure that comes with the bottle ($150 for 1.7 ounces on the firm’s Web site[1]) states: “The story of Eight & Bob is based on a family story transmitted verbally over time. For its final narration, fictionalized facts and characters were introduced.”
The story goes that the fragrance is called Eight & Bob because that was how the scent was labeled in 1937, when John F. Kennedy[2] ordered eight bottles and another for his brother “Bob.”
The company claims JFK met perfume connoisseur Albert Fouquet as he toured Europe in a convertible.
“Within minutes of being introduced, JFK was captivated by the essence that Albert wore.” Albert allegedly left a sample of the scent at JFK’s hotel with a note: “In this bottle, you will find the dash of French glamour that your American personality lacks.”
Fouquet supposedly died in a car accident in 1939, but his faithful butler Philippe was able to recover the formula and continue making the scent, using a rare plant from the mountains of Chile, and hiding the bottles in hollowed-out books to avert confiscation by the Nazis.
An RFK “special edition” cologne was given to all the guests at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation’s Ripple of Hope Gala Wednesday night, which honored former President Barack Obama, Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Humana CEO Bruce Broussard and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
Part of the revenue from the sales of this RFK parfum is being donated to the foundation.
One RFK fan said Kerry Kennedy, the foundation’s president,