In the otherworldly realm of luxury fragrances, few brands imbue that air of sophistication, intrigue and old-world charm associated with royalty and high society. None more so than Henry Jacques – a haute perfumery steeped in 48 years of French fragrance tradition with a taste for absolute refinement and bespoke masterpieces.
Founded in 1975 by Parisian perfume salesman Henry Cremona, who once worked for luxury beauty brands like Guerlain, Henry Jacques was born in the beautiful southern French town of Grasse – widely considered the world's perfume capital. Cremona’s vision for his brand was to concoct some of the world’s finest olfactive elixirs influenced by his travels, capturing the essence of French luxury and sophistication.
The team, comprised of Cremona, his wife Yvette, and an expert “nose”, pride themselves on working with 1,200 natural essences — velvety rose, intoxicating tuberose, sunny lavender, sumptuous jasmine, sensual and heady musk — that require the most laborious forms of blending and experimentation, all by hand using the most traditional processes.
The perfume atelier forged a reputation for creating one-of-a-kind bespoke scents of the highest quality and housed in uniquely designed crystal flacons for private clients who desired something more personal and artisanal to add to their perfume wardrobes. As bespoke offerings grew over the next few decades, an archive of some 3,000 unique scents sporting names such as “Rose Snow,” “Merveilleuse”, and “Et Pourtant” was curated, forming the pillars of the maison and building on the legacy of French high perfumery.
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Today, Henry Jacques remains family-owned, succeeded by Cremona’s daughter Anne-Lise, the company’s current CEO. After all, very few are those with such an innate grasp of the intimate world of fine perfumery as one who grew up directly surrounded by these delicate elixirs.
As a young woman, Anne-Lise’s free spirit spurred her on to an independent career at various perfume groups, where she developed a flair for strategy. Thus, blending two contrasting worlds, large-scale industry and fine craftsmanship, she developed a singular insight into the perfume business. “My main concern for Henry Jacques is longevity while keeping the art of perfumery,” she says. “Henry Jacques embodies an ideal of creativity, quality and authenticity. If those principles are abandoned, emotion is lost, and short-term thinking tyranny sets in.”
Her rebellious side was initially reluctant to join the family business, but her love for her parents and Henry Jacques's legacy changed her mind. Anne-Lise explains in another interview: “In 2010, and while I was living in London, my parents were approaching retirement and were planning to close down the business. I was emotionally tied to Parfums Henry Jacques, and I couldn't let their passion and fruit of labour disappear. So, I decided to take control of the company with a new vision.”
When she took over the reins in 2011, she was determined to bring the luxurious realm of French high perfumery to a wider audience while staying true to its legacy and traditions. The first order of business was to take a long overdue step into the retail landscape.
In 2014, she opened the first Henry Jacques retail outlet within a small and exclusive space in Salon de Parfums in Harrods, London, and tied it in with the launch of a commercial line comprising 50 essences under its Les Classiques de HJ collection—a curation and representation of the house’s immense olfactory work.
Collectively, Les Classiques has morphed into three forms: Les Essences, oils housed in minimalistic crystal flacons where just one drop is all you need; Les Brumes, lightweight face, body and hair mists housed in a unique ‘splash and spray’ convertible flacon; and the Clic-Clac, the brand’s innovative take on solid perfumes. These product offerings allow the customer to wear them independently or allow for layering.
Following the success of its first retail foray with Harrods, Henry Jacques has brought this curated physical experience to more locations worldwide, with nine standalone boutiques worldwide, such as Singapore, Dubai, Beverly Hills, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Ironically, the last to open was a flagship in Paris along Avenue Montaigne, simply because they were waiting for the perfect location.
Each boutique developed by Henry Jacques’ artistic director and architect, Christophe Tollemer, echoes the design sensibilities of historic Parisian apartments and celebrates the French art of living surrounded by art, books, and perfumes. Here, guests will enjoy a glimpse into the Henry Jacques universe, spanning a treasure trove of endless olfactory choices, from the limited edition Les Exceptions masterpieces to the innovative Clic-Clac solid perfumes and a diverse range of Les Classiques, all beautifully encased in jewel-like hand-blown crystal flacons, also designed by Tollemer.
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A shopping experience here is nothing short of luxurious. Guests are swept into the library, a lab meets exploration zone, where expert staff will guide you through an olfactory journey spanning 1,200 ingredients. You’ll be asked what mood you’re in, what scents you’re drawn to, or what you’d like to feel, and they would then find some notes or accords with an in-depth explanation of each.
Here, another focus of the boutique is to provide a conducive and comfortable space for clients to design their bespoke fragrances. Anna-Lise shares: “Bespoke is the most personal of our offering. It is designed only for you and creates a heritage that marks a moment in your life. It is something many clients request after they develop an affinity with us. It makes sense because once they test the flavours, they challenge themselves to learn and try new ingredients, then they start collecting and often become perfume connoisseurs who appreciate the uniqueness of Parfums Henry Jacques.”
Clic-Clac
Henry Jacques Perfumes has reimagined fragrance with their Clic-Clac, a sleek, pocket-sized solid perfume housed in a stylish monolith-looking container. Launched in 2021, the name Clic-Clac evokes the sound made when you slide the container open and shut, thanks to a smooth magnetic closure borrowed from Swiss watchmaking engineering that took four years to perfect.
The refillable cases are ideal for layering over your Les Classique essence or mist and cater to the male clientele, who like to travel light. It can house all 50 Henry Jacques’ Les Classiques scents in interchangeable solid perfume capsules. These non-alcoholic balms contain the highest concentration of elixirs, so you only need a few dabs into the skin for the scent to reveal itself.
A perfectly everyday companion, the Clic-Clac is available in precious materials such as titanium, carbon and gold.
50 Les Brumes
Conceived in 2019, Les Brumes (or the mist collection) is finally complete, which includes all 50 Les Classiques fragrances in the unique "Splash & Spray" bottles.
Reinventing heritage, Les Brumes offer a lighter expression of the traditional Essences at the very heart of the maison, bridging the spirit of high perfumery and modern-day living. All 50 Les Brumes are presented in stunning crystalline glass flacons topped with an innovative and highly technical spray, an in-house creation that dispenses a delicate, airy, yet highly intense cloud of fragrance.
Thanks to interchangeable tops, one can personalise their experience according to their mood – two rituals in one highly contemporary showcase: an enveloping mist of a Spray or a gentle Splash on the skin. Like the more traditional Essences, Les Brumes allow wearers to build their perfume wardrobe to compose their signature or imprint – in a more light-hearted way.
Overall, the Les Brumes collection adds a new dimension to Henry Jacques' fragrance offering, showcasing the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship while providing a contemporary and playful twist on traditional haute parfumerie. You can view 50 Les Brumes at the Henry Jacques Marina Bay Sands Boutique.
