Perfumery is an art and French perfume house Henry Jacques has mastered this mesmerising art. Over the years, Henry Jacques has given the world exquisite fragrances that are best described as olfactive jewels. Les Brumes is one such collection from the revered perfume house. A lighter and fresher variation of Henry Jacques iconic Les Classiques line, Les Brumes has been created as fragrances that can be sprayed or splashed.
In an engaging interview with The Luxury Bulletin, Anne-Lise Cremona, the CEO and creative force behind Parfumes Henry Jacques shares the interesting story of Les Brumes and its creation.
What was the inspiration behind Les Brumes?
Les Brumes was born of us wanting to create a lighter expression of our Les Classiques line, which is the real heart of Henry Jacques. Our wish was to develop a more contemporary version of our essences, whilst staying true to our Haute Parfumerie philosophy and the DNA of our Maison. We did not want to do a “spray” like everyone else and our desire to innovate led us into a several years development that gave birth to the little revolution that is Les Brumes. The main idea of Les Brumes was to complete the Henry Jacques lifestyle offer; it is perfect for more casual use or simply something you can wear on your clothes, and when the weather is warmer.
Please tell us about the three new launches under Les Brumes and the uniqueness of each fragrance.
These fragrances are all very special. They are like 3 distant corners of the same fresco. I think that regarding this particular selection, we can say that they are all very young perfumes, with Correspondence probably the most traditional. The perfumes bring us back to something we know, like all great perfumes should, but all three also open a door towards something more unknown, and this is truly pleasing to me. Introducing new fragrances to Les Brumes in a gradual fashion is a great way for our clients to discover new fragrances from the Classique’s collection.
Is there a story connected to each fragrance that you could share with us?
Correspondance is a perfume that unites Middle Eastern culture with French tradition. In his many travels to the Middle East throughout the 1960’s, my father (Henry Jacques founder) immersed himself deeply within the culture, mastering the art of mixing Oudh and rose. Oudh was a novel component for the French market and Correspondance was born of the harmony Henry found between French knowhow and oriental culture, expressing the beauty of both worlds.
Chalain is one of the perfumes that evokes Paris, a certain femininity that is spontaneous, modern and yet timeless. Paris, the most romantic city in the world, holds a romanticism that defines our Perfume House. Chalain captures the present moment…. Allowing us to dream of a future full of creativity.
Xantor is a bold, somehow magnetic fragrance, and is very successful among young men from all around the world.
What is the USP of Henry Jacques Perfumery?
Henry Jacques is an absolutely unique perfume house. We break the rules in terms of what has become normal within today’s industry of mass perfumery. It is true that we have strong roots in the tradition, but we also see ourselves as contemporary and innovating. Haute Parfumerie in the fragrance world is the equivalent of Haute Couture in the fashion world. It is crafting bespoke scents, perfectly fitted to clients, using immense savoir-faire and the finest ingredients. Every aspect of our creative process is in tune with ancestral know-how and why we work so hard to preserve our approach, without compromise, never accepting anything less than true excellence. This is also why we only offer our perfumes in our own boutiques, to ensure a truthful, intimate and contemplative experience with every client.
What’s next for the House of Henry Jacques?
This is an endless topic; it can mean so many things! On the business side, we were truly happy to open our Beverly Hills boutique a couple months ago, it was a special moment because it meant that Henry Jacques is now present on all continents. We will continue to open boutiques, in a few select places, and a very important step will be the opening of a Paris boutique, at home.
We will also soon introduce our very innovative “Online Boutique”, that once again does things utterly differently than what has been seen previously in the perfume world.
In terms of creativity, we have so many ideas and developments in the pipeline. New accessories will come, new ways of wearing your Classiques, new masterpieces. But when creating new products, we always take our time and do no rely on launches to exist. We only release something when it is ready, when the time is right.