Encyclopedia
The houses
The perfume houses featured in the guide, from the oldest to the most recent.
- FlorisSince 1730, the shop at 89 Jermyn Street has carried on an English perfumery of quiet elegance, handed down from generation to generation within the same family.7 fragrances
- CreedThe house traces its origins to eighteenth-century London. Creed pairs a tailoring heritage with a perfumery of character, handed down through the generations.13 fragrances
- GuerlainBorn on the rue de Rivoli in 1828, Guerlain is one of the oldest French perfume houses, the house of Jicky, of Shalimar and of vanilla raised to a signature.29 fragrances
- Louis VuittonA Paris trunk-maker turned luxury house, Louis Vuitton composes fragrances inspired by travel, all signed by its master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud.21 fragrances
- BurberryA British house born in 1856 with Thomas Burberry's shop, the inventor of gabardine; its fragrances extend that heritage.2 fragrances
- Penhaligon'sThe house of the Jermyn Street barber who became perfumer to the court, telling England's story with humour and panache, between Victorian classics and portraits of imaginary aristocrats.5 fragrances
- Clive ChristianThe London heir to the Crown Perfumery Company, crowned with Queen Victoria's crown, which signs highly concentrated fragrances with formulas of rare complexity.6 fragrances
- MontblancBorn in Hamburg in 1906 around writing instruments, Montblanc also extends its craft to leather goods, watches and fragrances.1 fragrance
- ChanelA fashion house born on rue Cambon, Chanel turned the couturier's perfume into a legend with N°5, composed with Ernest Beaux.14 fragrances
- PradaBorn in 1913 with a first shop in Milan, Prada extends its world into fragrance, including the sailing-inspired Luna Rossa line.3 fragrances
- Acqua di ParmaFounded in Parma in 1916, Acqua di Parma embodies the Italian art of living, from its Colonia eau de Cologne to the Mediterranean landscapes of Blu Mediterraneo.20 fragrances
- Hugo BossA German group founded in Metzingen in 1924, Hugo Boss brings together the BOSS and HUGO brands; its fragrances have existed under licence since 1984.2 fragrances
- LancômeFounded in 1935 by Armand Petitjean, Lancôme was born with five perfumes on the theme of travel; the rose has remained its emblem.3 fragrances
- DiorA couture house born on avenue Montaigne, Dior has always seen perfume as an extension of the dress. Its Collection Privée is its most intimate workshop.31 fragrances
- ChloéFounded in Paris in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, Chloé was among the first houses to offer luxury ready-to-wear; its fragrances extend that style.2 fragrances
- GivenchyA couture house founded in Paris by Hubert de Givenchy in 1952, Givenchy presented its first perfume, L'Interdit, in 1957.6 fragrances
- ValentinoA couture house born in Rome in 1959 with Valentino Garavani's first atelier, Valentino also signs the Born in Roma fragrances.2 fragrances
- DiptyqueThe house at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain, born of three artist friends, whose fragrances tell of travel memories and beloved landscapes.11 fragrances
- Yves Saint LaurentThe couture house founded by Yves Saint Laurent launched its first perfume, Y, in 1964; its fragrances are now presented by YSL Beauty.7 fragrances
- RabanneLong known as Paco Rabanne, the fashion and fragrance house launched its first perfume, Calandre, in 1969.6 fragrances
- AzzaroThe house of couturier Loris Azzaro, known for evening gowns, Azzaro launched its first perfume in 1975 and Azzaro Pour Homme in 1978.2 fragrances
- MuglerFounded in 1974 by Manfred Thierry Mugler, the house of Mugler left its mark on perfumery with Angel, then Alien.4 fragrances
- Giorgio ArmaniA fashion house founded in Milan in 1975, Giorgio Armani extends its contemporary elegance into fragrances such as Acqua di Giò, Sì and Armani Code.7 fragrances
- Jean Paul GaultierThe designer Jean Paul Gaultier has signed collections since 1976; his first perfume, Classique, dates from 1993.4 fragrances
- L'Artisan ParfumeurA Paris house founded in 1976 by Jean Laporte, a pioneer of niche perfumery, creating singular fragrances inspired by nature.28 fragrances
- VersaceBorn in 1978 around Gianni Versace, the Italian house extends its world from fashion to fragrance.3 fragrances
- Carolina HerreraA house born in New York with Carolina Herrera's first collection in 1981; its first perfume dates from 1988.6 fragrances
- AmouageBorn in Oman, the historic land of frankincense and myrrh, Amouage marries the Arabian perfume tradition with Western fine perfumery in ample, precious compositions.30 fragrances
- Dolce&GabbanaAn Italian fashion and luxury group founded in 1985, Dolce&Gabbana signs fragrances such as Light Blue and The One.5 fragrances
- Viktor&RolfThe Amsterdam fashion house of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, born in 1993 between fashion and art, behind Flowerbomb.2 fragrances
- Frédéric MalleFrédéric Malle conceived a publishing house for perfume. Each bottle bears the name of the perfumer who composed it, free of constraint, like an author being published.8 fragrances
- Histoires de ParfumsAn olfactory library: each fragrance tells of a character, a legendary year, a poem or a piece of music, to be read on the skin.7 fragrances
- Ormonde JayneA modern British perfumery built around rare materials seldom used, and made in its own English workshop.12 fragrances
- Tom FordThe house of designer Tom Ford approaches fragrance as it does fashion, with an unapologetic taste for sensuality, rich materials and bold contrasts.34 fragrances
- ByredoBorn in Stockholm, Byredo translates memories and emotions into fragrances of great clarity, served by a pared-back Nordic aesthetic.35 fragrances
- Etat Libre d'OrangeEtienne de Swardt's Parisian house, provocative and literary, which tells unexpected stories with top-quality raw materials.8 fragrances
- Juliette Has a GunRomano Ricci's Parisian house, which since 2006 has told the story of a free, contradictory femininity, with bold fragrances, sometimes built around a single material.6 fragrances
- Le LaboThe New York house that turned perfume into laboratory work, formulated by hand, with names of materials followed by a number and personalised labels.5 fragrances
- Kilian ParisHeir to a great cognac family, Kilian Hennessy composes a perfumery of seduction and nightlife, in bottles designed to be refilled.10 fragrances
- Memo ParisFragrances conceived as travel journals: each creation keeps the memory of a destination, with intense, precious materials.14 fragrances
- XerjoffA Turin house that seeks "a work of art within a work of art": opulent fragrances in bottles crafted like precious objects.55 fragrances
- ManceraA house founded in 2008 by Pierre Montale, a master of oriental perfumery, combining precious Eastern materials with contemporary boldness.23 fragrances
- Maison Francis KurkdjianFounded in Paris by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya, the house cultivates a perfumery of light and fabric, each creation unfolding like an olfactory wardrobe.17 fragrances
- Parfums de MarlyDaring classics inspired by the festivities of the Château de Marly, where Louis XV's court celebrated the arts and perfume.15 fragrances
- SospiroAn Italian perfume house that composes its creations like musical works, inspired by opera and presented in velvet bottles.6 fragrances
- Roja ParfumsRoja Dove's London house, which champions an opulent, highly concentrated haute perfumery, with lavish compositions and crystal-adorned bottles.18 fragrances
- NishaneThe perfumery of Istanbul, crossroads of civilisations: fragrances that tell stories, from the poetry of Rumi to Turkish shadow theatre.8 fragrances
- Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777The house of a synaesthete painter-perfumer, who composes fragrances like paintings and draws on the Orient for his 777 collection.6 fragrances
- Ex NihiloA Paris house founded in 2013, born near Place Vendôme, which gives its perfumers a free hand and combines exceptional materials with cutting-edge technologies.19 fragrances
- ArgosAn American house founded by Christian Petrovich, each of whose fragrances retells a Greek or Roman legend, often through a great painting.6 fragrances
- Fragrance Du BoisA house born in Paris that wants to make the rarest materials, starting with oud, desirable to everyone, not just collectors.5 fragrances
- Initio Parfums PrivésA Parisian house that sees perfume as an invisible force, able to act on the emotions, with intense compositions, all unisex and made in France.8 fragrances
- Vilhelm ParfumerieA house with a Swedish name and New York roots, whose fragrances, created in Paris, each tell a scene inspired by the arts, from cinema to jazz.9 fragrances
- BDK ParfumsAn independent house in the Palais-Royal, where each fragrance starts from a singular raw material to tell a Parisian story.6 fragrances
- Goldfield & BanksDimitri Weber's Australian house, which pairs Australia's native botanicals with French perfumery know-how, in eaux de parfum that are all unisex.6 fragrances
- Ella K ParfumsA house founded by perfumer Sonia Constant, Ella K tells of journeys to the ends of the earth in fragrance, like the pages of a travel journal.5 fragrances
- Maison CrivelliFounded by explorer Thibaud Crivelli, Maison Crivelli builds each fragrance on the memory of an unexpected encounter with a raw material.6 fragrances
- Matière PremièreThe house of perfumer Aurélien Guichard, who builds each creation on the overdose of a natural material, often grown on his own land in Grasse.5 fragrances
- Born To Stand OutA Korean house with a provocative tone, championing non-conformist luxury and fragrances whose names and accords are deliberately excessive.14 fragrances