- published: 27 Oct 2010
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L'Occitane en Provence (French pronunciation: [lɔk.si.tan ɑ̃ pʁɔ.vɑ̃s]) and commonly known as L'Occitane, is an international retailer of body, face, fragrances and home products based in Manosque, France. The company was founded in 1976 by Olivier Baussan with the purpose to create a company that celebrates and preserves the traditions of his native Provence. The company name means "the Occitan woman [in Provence]".
In 2010, the company became listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
In 1976, 23-year-old Olivier Baussan used steam distillation to produce essential oil from wild rosemary and lavender which he sold at open-air markets in his native Provence. L'Occitane was named for the women of Occitania. This area existed during the Middle Ages, spanning southern France, north-eastern Spain and northern Italy. Occitan was the native language and is still spoken as a second language in some areas of this region today.
The first L'Occitane boutique opened in 1978 in Volx, a village in Provence. Baussan found a disused soap factory in Manosque, another Provençal village, which he took over to manufacture vegetable-based soaps using traditional methods. In the 1990s, Baussan sold a majority stake in the business to venture capitalists to finance expansion. As their approaches were incompatible, Baussan found himself excluded from daily management and strategic decision-making.