Sometimes with companies that have stood the test of time, the imagery of the brand remains strong, but the origins and history have been forgotten. This series aims to shed light on some of the history behind the brand.

The iconic Cartier panther was first associated with the brand in 1914. The image of a panther was becoming quite popular at the time, connected with women, power, danger, and a feminine ferocity that was emerging in society.

The first hint of a panther was just a distinctive spotted pattern on the face of a watch. Also in 1914, Jacques Cartier commissioned from George Barbier, the most famous illustrator at the time, a painting of a woman with a panther. Cartier often got Barbier to work on fashion drawings, and this image appeared at a show, in a catalogue and on a business card.

The probable inspiration for Cartier using the panther was Jeanne Toussaint. Toussaint, who is considered by many to have been Cartier’s muse and lover, was nicknamed La Panthere for her love of the animal and its furs, both as clothing and rugs. Toussaint was also a powerful figure in her own right; she started in the accessories department and by the 1930s had become the director of Cartier’s jewelry department. Toussaint is perhaps most famous for designing a brooch of a caged bird to acknowledge the Nazi occupation, which resulted in her interrogation by Nazi authorities. At the end of the war, another piece was designed with the bird free from its cage.

In the late 1940s, Wallis Simpson received a panther brooch from her husband, the Duke of Windsor. This was Cartier’s first 3-D panther, and Simpson’s notoriety with the public further cemented the link between Cartier and the panther.

For the past quarter century, Cartier has honoured the heritage and importance of the panther to the company with a special collection featuring panthers. The Panthere de Cartier collection has been updated several times, but the panther remains the constant.

The connection between Cartier and the Panther remains strong to this day, as the image enters its second century. In addition to the Panthere de Cartier collection, a panther was recently featured in the commercial L’Odyssee de Cartier. The extra-long commercial features a panther travelling around the world. Cartier recently launched a perfume called La Panthere, using the nickname of the founder’s original muse.