Style Edit: How Henry Jacques is keeping it in the family – after nearly 50 years in business, the French maison is one of the world’s few remaining independent haute perfumeries

Mar 1 , 2024

Careful measuring and mixing of components are part of the time-honoured art of perfume-making at Henry Jacques. Photos: Handouts

Founded in 1975 by Henry and Yvette Cremona, today the independent perfume house insists on age-old values for its custom-made scents, under second-generation directors Anne-Lise Cremona and Christophe Tollemer

Based in Grasse, the French perfume capital, contemporary touches are added to bottle design and some of its mainly custom-made scents

Esteemed haute perfumery Henry Jacques has grown from its intimate beginnings as a passion project between husband and wife duo Henry and Yvette Cremona, into one of the world’s few remaining independent haute perfumeries.

From one passionate duo to another, the legacy of the French house lives on thanks to CEO Anne-Lise Cremona (shown right) and artistic director Christophe Tollemer.

Anne-Lise continues the uncompromising standards and family tradition in creating essences and fragrances that renowned nose Joseph Sassi instilled at the maison.

Her passion for remaining true to the independent roots of the maison allows room for creativity paired with the visionary aesthetics that Tollemer brings as the house’s artistic director and designer. The sensational scents of Henry Jacques are now presented in the beautiful bottles seen on the shelves of retail spaces curated to resonate with the ethos of the house.

Cleaner lines, curves and motifs bring simplicity to the art of traditional high-end bottling

Tapping into the finest ingredients from the far reaches of earth, Henry Jacques fragrances are created within the confines of its Provence laboratory. There, personalised creations – a moment in time or a fleeting emotion expressed exclusively by clients – are recreated using precious essences.

These “one-of-a-kind” fragrances, known as sur mesures in French, are exclusive collaborations between the noses at Henry Jacques and clients. Much like haute couture is to fashion, Henry Jacques’ approach to bespoke fragrances begins with a consultation where the client’s habits, preferences, tastes and emotions are noted.

From there, clients visiting one of the maison’s boutiques will have the opportunity to transform their emotions and feelings, with the help of a Henry Jacques fragrance expert, into unique formulations using essences of the highest quality. This personalised scent is then captured inside a sensually shaped bottle, chest-shaped containers, flasks and carafes.

The Henry Jacques perfume brand was launched as a passion project by its founder Henry Cremona, pictured above

A blend this exceptional deserves a name equally outstanding. Together with the client, the Henry Jacques team will then label the fragrance, completing the made-to-measure journey.

The details of the completed scent are housed in the maison’s library for safekeeping – for reproduction only at the request of its creator.