L’Officiel Malaysia – July 2019

L’Ofciel Beauty 91

“If time is the new luxury, perfume is time for yourself,” says

Anne Lise Cremona, daughter of the founder and president of

Parfums Henry Jacques—a French high perfume house that

started out as a bespoke brand catering to the aristocracy and

high society almost half a century ago.

For Henry Jacques Cremona, an encounter with one of the last

great noses of the old French perfume tradition in the 1970s

sparked the setting up of his eponymous perfume house in 1975.

To revive the days of pure perfume and its rituals often lauded in

fine literature, Henry Jacques draws his vision from traditional,

time-honoured codes of craftsmanship, balanced with an avant-

garde spirit and contemporary elegance. What transpires is

a brand anchored in timelessness born of the meeting of the

simple and delicate with the complex and creative.

PROCESS OF CREATION

Since the 17th century, the heart of Provence has been the

industry epicentre of perfumed dreams with time standing

still. The Henry Jacques haute parfumerie’s laboratory sits

in Grasse, where its collection of 3,000 formulas is stored

and where everything from the perfumes to the bottles is

assiduously created in-house.

The jewel of the crown of its South of France headquarters

lies in the wondrous perfume organ housing a labyrinth that

comprises thousands of scents. It is safeguarded by know-

how obtained from the art of the great perfume composers

and immersed in the heritage of the house. Here, the process

of transforming exquisite petals into essential oils and natural

absolutes takes place among towers of jewel-toned flasks and

crystallised resins, unfettered by fad and fashion.

ESSENCES, BOTTLES AND INSPIRATION

What goes into the making of a Henry Jacques perfume?

Exceptional natural essences from all corners of the world are

brought to the crafting atelier where they undergo an exacting

selection system. Skilled perfumers then capture and extract

the quintessence of nature’s best. The palette of essences

such as velvety rose, intoxicating tuberose, sunny lavender,

sumptuous jasmine and sensual, heady musk are hand-picked

and blended by the perfumer just like how music notes are

selected by musicians in composing a symphony.

To contain the most precious blend of natural absolutes and

perfumed oil nectars, only exquisite bottles such as intricately

designed crystal flacons or customised jewel-toned flasks from

the world’s best crystal-glass makers and jewellers are used.

These pure essences concocted without alcohol are beautiful

and potent olfactory expressions that inspire voyages of self-

discovery. A personal companion and a modern, discreet

luxury, Henry Jacques perfumes evoke indelible memories,

whisper one’s presence and reveal one’s highest self with just

a few lingering drops. As memories, emotions and the senses

meet and merge with an alchemy of hues, textures and ideas,

great perfumery is conceived—that which is intimate and

distinctive.

LES CLASSIQUES de HJ

This ingenious collection represents the diverse oeuvre

of Henry Jacques—the achievements of a lifetime of

bespoke perfumery—distilled into an accessible collection.

Encompassing 50 fragrances that introduce the Henry Jacques

universe, the purity of the essences rekindles the elegant

delight of applying perfume to one’s skin.

While the formulas boast universal appeal, the perfumer’s

extensive library allows customers of diverse personalities to

find the perfect scent to suit their unique sense of individuality.

Scents And Sensibility

Henry Jacques presents the art of haute parfumerie—a venerable art

of living that is refreshed and redefined for the present-day.

BY TAN SIOK HOON