The name Henry Jacques has always been afflicted with both tradition and luxury; a name that also comes up whenever one speaks of bespoke fragrances. It is a line of fragrances that perhaps is a category of their own. In fact, they are actually one of the few family-owned perfume houses left in the entire world. The house has been crafting bespoke fragrances for some of the most prominent figures in the world, including royalty, since its founding in 1975. Now, Henry Jacques has brought half a century of excellence and creativity of serving the world’s greatest to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It was founder, Henry Jacques Cremona’s infinite passion for scents and an encounter with one of the last great noses of the old French perfume tradition in the 1970s led him to open his own perfume atelier. Half a century has passed but the house still breathes the very essence of its founder. Driven by enthusiasm for rarity and perfection, Cremona travelled across the world to seek only the best ingredients — premium natural essences, which the house still uses rigorously and skillfully when crafting its fragrance.
It was only fairly recent that Henry Jacques opened their doors to the public, having only to create bespoke fragrances for their private list of clientele. Current CEO and daughter of the founder, Anne-Lise Cremona took over the reins of the business and started incorporating a more ‘commercialised’ factor to the brand. Not just by expanding its realm by opening more ateliers across the globe but with the launch of a more commercially-driven collection, Les Classiques.
It’s a collection of fifty unique fragrances, each of them housed in a specially designed crystal bottle which allows the deep, rich sparkle of the essences to shine through. The Les Classiques is described as the “first steps at the gateway to the Henry Jacques universe”, which now you can experience at their newly-opened atelier here at Pavilion KL.
As rarity and bespoke services are still part of the house’s DNA, you can choose to have any of the fifty essences in a crystal flacon of your choice or create an entirely new scent based on your preference. As everything is 100% handcrafted from their laboratory, it may take up from a few months to a year to have a bottle of Henry Jacques fragrance that you can truly call it your own. But they will guide you through the entire process; from choosing your ideal fragrance base and notes to even picking the smallest of ingredients. “Time is the greatest luxury today,” Cremona told Tatler. “And you need time to make a great perfume.”
French Haute Parfumerie, Henry Jacques is now open on the 2nd floor of Pavilion KL.