Coty, Inc.

1900s–1920s

The company began its global expansion in the early 1910s, first in London and New York. Coty established U.S. headquarters at 714 Fifth Avenue in New York City, and commissioned Lalique to design pressed glass panels for the building's façade windows, which were installed in 1912. Coty remained headquartered in the building until 1941. The structure was later given landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission during the 1980s for its custom windows. Coty began selling other beauty products including face and body powders in the 1910s, and launched one of its most successful fragrances, Chypre, in 1917. The company's products gained more attention in the United States as World War I soldiers started returning from France with gifts for loved ones. During the 1920s, Coty launched more than fifteen new fragrances and expanded into Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Coty, Inc. was formed in New York in 1922, and became a publicly traded company in 1925.