STYLE Edit: Which fragrance from Henry Jacques’ luxury Classiques collection will you choose?
Royalty, heads of state, socialites and celebrities have been privy to the Henry Jacques name for decades. In fact, only recently have the doors of premium indulgence been opened to the rest of us.
The French haute perfumery has offered bespoke fragrances to only the most elite clientele for almost half a century.
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In the past two years, the perfumery has extended its tailor-made artisanal fragrances to Asia.
We are haute couture perfumers because, like couturiers who make a single dress, we can make a one-off scent
It opened its first stand-alone Asian boutique at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and recently opened its second store at the Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.
The idea to “open up” the atelier has been headed by CEO, Anne-Lise Cremona, the daughter of Henry Jacques’ founder, Henry Cremona, and niece of Richard Mille, co-founder of the luxury Swiss watch brand.
However, the Henry Jacques experience is still an exclusive affair.
“We are haute couture perfumers because, like couturiers who make a single dress, we can make a one-off scent,” Cremona says.
The white-glove service begins with a consultation to understand the wearer’s unique “beauty, character and desires”.
Clients might also wish to sample the exhaustive collection of existing scents that the perfumery has collected, curated and derived from all over the globe since 1975.
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These include the usual suspects – rose, tuberose, lavender, jasmine, or ambergris, extracted into rich absolutes and oil nectars with no unnecessary distillation – but they make but a dent in the perfumery’s compendium.
Within two months, the client is presented with three versions of their one-of-a-kind fragrance.
These have been painstakingly composed by expert perfumers at the Parfums Henry Jacques laboratory in Grasse, the historic hub and heart of French perfumery since the 17th century.
Adjustments can be made on the artisanal perfume until the client is completely satisfied.
This holistic sense of satisfaction extends to the bottling process.
A meeting with the artistic director, Christopher Tollemer, will help clients decide how they wish to package their signature scent: in an intricately designed flacon or perhaps a jewel-toned flask.
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For an introduction into the Henry Jacques universe, a series of 50 unique fragrances are also available for immediate purchase under the Classiques collection.
Each Classique is packaged in a crystal bottle of 15ml (0.5 ounce) or 30ml volume and presented in a varnished wooden case embellished with gold leaf.
For 10 to 15 Classiques, Henry Jacques offers the Caves a Parfums, a beautifully crafted cabinet chest to house your prized collection.
Cremona says: “If time is the new luxury, perfume is time for yourself.”
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French bespoke perfume maker, which has made its name serving royalty, socialites and celebrities for almost half a century, has now created 50 unique, artisanal scents