Agnès Webster on Leading Fragonard Through Heritage and Innovation
Agnès Webster, president of the perfume house Fragonard, discusses her role in blending tradition with modernity as the company celebrates its centenary in 2026. Born in Cannes and initially pursuing law and philosophy, she joined the family business after her father, the third-generation head, persuaded her. Despite early challenges in a male-dominated environment, she and her sister Françoise built a unique model where Fragonard extends beyond perfume into homeware, clothing, and an art de vivre. Webster emphasizes creation driven by words and stories, nourished by the company's museums and collections of bottles, paintings, and Provençal costumes. She describes her leadership as intuitive, without a business plan, and credits the cohesive teams across museums and factories as essential to the family story. The podcast episode is part of RFI's '100% Création' summer series.
Key facts
- Fragonard celebrates its centenary in 2026.
- Agnès Webster is president of Fragonard, representing the fourth generation.
- Webster studied law and philosophy before joining the family business.
- Her father, the third-generation head, recruited her to work at Fragonard.
- She and her sister Françoise developed a model integrating perfume, homeware, and clothing.
- Webster's creative process starts with words and names, not fragrances.
- Fragonard's creation is tied to its cultural collections: museums, bottles, paintings, costumes.
- Webster leads intuitively without a business plan, relying on cohesive teams.
Entities
Artists
- Agnès Webster
- Françoise Costa
Institutions
- Fragonard
- RFI
Locations
- Cannes
- Grasse
- Paris
- France