Power Couples
French luxury perfume house Henry Jacques pushes boundaries with the release of its limited‑edition Les Toupies collection
Perfume house Henry Jacques pushes boundaries with its limited-edition Les Toupies collection
There are no rules in the world of haute parfumerie, although it is both artful and complex. Not only are rare fragrances crafted with utmost care, they are also presented in the most sublime containers.
As such, Henry Jacques has always strived to conceive and design exquisite bottles to hold its essences. For decades, the French luxury perfume house has cemented its position as a brand for the discerning few who appreciate precious scents. Matching crystal and fragrances has thus become central to Henry Jacques’ quest to create premium essences that are
made with ingredients sourced from all over the world.
Founded by Henry Cremona in 1975, the heritage perfumery is well known for crafting bespoke fragrances for the world’s most discerning for over 40 years before offering its first collection available for retail.
The olfactory journey begins with a consultation with an in‑house expert, who will take the client through a variety of scents while understanding their desires. A name of the scent is then defined and finally, clients are also advised on how to wear the perfume as well as the best accessories that will complement it.
Now, the house has revealed Les Toupies, or The Spinning Tops, the latest addition to its rare collection of Masterpieces. What’s special about this collection is that these fragrances were created and developed as complementary pairs—each contained in beautiful flacons which are similar in form yet completely different from each other. Just like a novel, the limited‑edition series is presented in the form of chapters.
Henry Jacques’ chief executive Anne‑lise Cremona explained: “We had initially wanted to present the Toupies all at once as a whole family, as this is ultimately how they should be. Nevertheless, we were very interested in having a real storytelling, and releasing them, couple after couple, chapter after chapter … which allowed us to focus on each character, just like a novel.”
DESIGN INSPIRATION
These crystal flacons in the collection were made entirely by hand, each painstakingly crafted into complicated patterns. In fact, it took more than three years of development under Christophe Tollemer, the maison’s artistic director, whose task was to design “a series of flacons that would be multifaceted yet symmetrical, with no central point and yet possessing a stable axis”. This was so that the bottles could safely hold the essences. A group of artisans was specially commissioned by Henry Jacques to make Tollemer’s vision come to life, without losing character and capturing every detail that was outlined.
This first pair of flacons was created to match a pair of signature fragrances: Mr H and Mrs Y. The Man flacon is slightly larger than the Woman but the difference in size is not a coincidence.
Cremona said: “One of our requirements is to design a bottle that can fit in one’s hand to increase the sensuality of the perfume. They have been designed to be nestled in men or women’s palms.”
Part deux of the series was inventive, evocative and avant‑garde—perfect for anyone who is ready for a fresh new scent. No 16 and No 81 took the longest amount of time to be finalised due to the “many facets” involved; in fact, lesser‑known ingredients were also used to create No 16 and No 81.
Fanfan and Galileo, the third and final perfumes in the striking Les Toupies series, are also the most “gourmand”, according to Tollemer.
As rare and exquisite these perfumes are, the scents are genderless and versatile enough to be worn from day to night.
“No 16 is perfect for the morning in my opinion and Mr H is beautiful at night,” Cremona shared. “No 81 and Fanfan are very easy to wear for both men and women. There are no rules for that. Each person can see each perfume in a different angle and that’s what we like.”
Henry Jacques believes that the angles and interpretations of each perfume are intimate to the wearer, especially when the creativity and formula behind the fragrances are so “rich”.
“This collection is a fantastic playground for us, and a great way to express ourselves and push our imagination and expertise further,” Cremona enthused.
Les Toupies has been a magical waltz for the maison and the dance will only continue gracefully.
“This collection is a fantastic playground, and a great way to express ourselves”