Goya (Cosmetics and Perfume)

Kieran Collins
Feb 1, 2020
2 min read

In 1932 Douglas Collins founded a company to make brilliantine and hair cream in Kentish Town. Four years later Collins decided to concentrate on making perfume. Collins’ changed the original name of his company Lafontaine to Goya in 1937. Collins recalled that an advertising show-card was prepared to introduce the name, showing a reclining nude. “When it was printed, no chemist would show it in his window in case his customers objected to it. I had to overprint a sort of nightdress before I could use it. I had never heard of Goya when I chose the name for my perfumes, but, oddly, this first Goya perfume colour drawing repeated the artist’s experience with his naked and clothed Maja portraits.”

Goya’s breakthrough moment came in 1938 with an order for 200,000 samples to be given away with Woman’s Journal magazine.

The company was originally based in London. The firm continued to operate throughout the Second World War, when Collins served with the Royal Navy. The company not only continued in production but managed to do well throughout the war. In 1946 Collins purchased the former site of the Weller Brewery in Church Street, Amersham

Goya perfumes were packed entirely by hand. This is said to give the best possible finish. The company employed many women in the packing department and had an advanced employment and benefits package.

Douglas Collins sold Goya for £1.5 million to Reckitt and Colman in 1960 but then bought it back for £0.8mn in 1968. In 1972, four years after the re-purchase from Reckitt’s, Douglas Collins died. In 1975, Goya was sold to Imperial Chemical Industries.

Christopher Collins was Managing Director of Goya Ltd from 1968 to 1975 and was a Director of Goya from 1975 to 1980.Goya finally closed in 1985.