Before leaving Paris I knew I would purchase some perfume and wanted something unusual that didn’t smell like every other woman’s scent. I wanted a fragrance that would forever remind me of my time there, and after a whiff, I’d instantly be transported back. I found it at Frederick Malle.
The founder of Editions de Parfums, Frédéric Malle comes from fragrance royalty. His grandfather, Serge Heftler, was the founder of Parfums Christian Dior and his mother was the art director for the same house. Malle worked under Roure Bertrand Dupont, and then consulted for Christian Lacroix, Mark Birley and Hermès until launching his own collection in 2000. Originally, Malle gave nine of the world’s best perfumers the rare opportunity to create their dream fragrances. Even better, Malle also gave the designers creative and financial freedom. A founding principal for Malle was to spend money on quality materials rather than costly packaging and marketing. He wanted the focus on the juice rather than the superfluous details surrounding it.
Let me get one thing straight. Malle doesn’t create the scents. Rather, he is a curator or an editor of the fragrances in his line. The original nine perfumes were introduced at his first boutique in Paris at 37 rue de Grenelle whereas today that collection counts 12 designers and 19 unisex fragrances in the complete Éditions de Parfums. After debuting, Malle opened up a second store in Paris and another one in New York City. His fragrances can also be found in select Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue Stores in the U.S. and various luxury retailers worldwide.
When I entered the original Paris boutique, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. With a traditional storefront and an awning in Malle’s signature red, the space was quite modern and simple, much like the packaging of his fragrances. The scents were neatly displayed on the front table ready to be sampled. Black and white portraits of the perfumers hung on the walls and Malle’s book, On Perfume Making, was prominently on view. What made the shopping experience unique were the five futuristic pods installed throughout the shop.
Stretching from floor to ceiling, these clear tubular capsules give shoppers a way to experience each scent as if worn by a passerby. This is how it works. Each one of the chambers contains a different fragrance. The scent is emitted inside the tube, and then a door is opened that allows shoppers to smell the aroma without it touching their own skin. Pretty cool, huh?
After a conversation with one of the staff regarding my preferences, I was offered six or seven options, including several sampled in the pods. All were unique and unlike anything I’d ever worn or tried previously. Honestly, I could have bought them all, but ultimately decided on Musc Ravageur for my Parisian perfume. One spritz on the wrist and I’m back at the Place Vendôme. Mission accomplished.
