Matchabelli George

Matchabelli George (1885-1935), Politician, public figure and per fumer. He graduated from the Classical School of Nobilities in Tbilisi and Academy of Mines in Berlin. He was in Belgium when WW I broke out. He moved to Germany where he founded ‘Georgian Liberation Committee’, established links with ‘Georgian Independence Committee’ in Geneva and set up its branch in Georgia. In the period of Georgian independence (1918-21) G. Matchabelli was elected a member of Georgian governmental delegation abroad. Initially he was stationed in Austria, later he was appointed the First Secretary of Georgian Embassy in Italy. In 1924 G. Matchabelli gave up political activities and along with his wife immigrated to the USA. In 1926 he launched his own perfume-producing company, which became known as an enterprise of cosmetics production ‘Prince Matchabelli’. To decorate the bottle of his first scent Queen of Georgia, he applied the familial gilded royal coat of arms of the Matchabelis, which became the brand mark of his company. Initially, his perfume bottles were made out of German porcelain; later the Matchabelli scent was bottled in the transparent containers produced by George Coby’s (Grigol Kobakhidze) glass manufacturing company. Perfume Queen of Georgia was followed by Princess Norina (Norina Gilli was G. Matchabelli’s wife), Golden Autumn, eau-de-Colognes, lipsticks, etc. G. Matchabelli’s name became one of the successful brands in the USA; soon the items of Matchabelli appeared in Europe as well. In 1931, along with Pavle Kvaratskhelia, G. Matchabelli founded a Georgian association of fellow countrymen in the United States.

George Matchabelli died in New York; he was buried at the Long Island cemetery.