Beginning in the mid-1930s, Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff, an Austrian chemist, and his British-born wife, Evelyn Diane Westall, known to society as Lady Evyan, set out to challenge the dominance of the French perfume industry by establishing their own fragrance house in New York. Baron Langer, who was often referred to as Dr. Walter Langer due to his advanced scientific training, was deeply devoted to his wife. His affection was such that he named the perfume company Evyan in her honor, a lasting tribute that intertwined their personal and professional lives. Beyond the fragrance house itself, Evyan became a holding company, incorporating several business names and subsidiaries, including Dr. Walter Langer Co., Westall, Westfall, Estall, Felice Co., and Hartnell. The name Parfums Hartnell Distributors appeared in use as early as 1947 under Wolf J. Overham.
In 1940, Evyan introduced its first major perfume, White Shoulders, which remains a recognizable and widely available fragrance to this day, often found in American drugstores. Unlike French perfume houses that cultivated an aura of continental sophistication and exclusivity, the Langers sought to create a fragrance for American women, free of pretension and foreign dependence. Every element—from the scent itself to the packaging—was designed, manufactured, and produced in the United States, a proud statement of independence from the French tradition. In this way, Evyan elevated American perfumery, demonstrating that quality, artistry, and luxury could be achieved without reliance on Europe.
The choice of the name “White Shoulders” has been the subject of charming anecdotes. One story claims that at a dinner party, Lady Evyan appeared in an off-the-shoulder gown, prompting a guest to remark: “Your white shoulders are beautiful.” Another account suggests that the Duke of Marlborough raised a toast in her honor, declaring: “To the whitest shoulders I have ever seen.” Whether born of admiration or aristocratic wit, the name perfectly captured a quality of elegance, femininity, and sensuality. The phrase itself conjures images of sophistication, romance, and refinement—an idealized vision of beauty that American women of the time would have found both aspirational and relatable.
