Coty, Inc. is a beauty brand founded François Coty in 1904. Born Joseph Marie François Spoturno, a native of Corsica, he moved to Paris and adopted the more French-sounding name of François Coty, with "Coty" a variation of his mother's maiden name. Initially a secretary, he studied perfumery under a local pharmacist and begin what he hoped would be a revolution in the fragrance industry, which had changed little since the 19th century.