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Creed boasts an unbroken line of perfumers: father-to-son, descending and developing through seven generations. The Creeds have the unique genetic heritage of a discerning nose for scent – centuries of passion for perfume.
The story began in 1760. A pair of scented leather gloves was delivered to King George III by a new London tailoring company. Founded by James Henry Creed in the same year as the young King’s accession, the House of Creed has created fragrances for discerning gentlemen for nearly 260 years.
Queen Victoria – George III’s granddaughter – appointed Creed as an official supplier to the Royal Household. In 1854, under the patronage of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, the House of Creed moved its headquarters to Paris. Victoria had praised Creed too well to her fellow Sovereigns. In newly rebuilt Paris, Creed embellished its reputation for impeccable tailoring and for the exclusivity of its rare and limited House fragrances.
Creed has created a legacy of unrivalled scents treasured by perfume connoisseurs and admirers of quality, style and panache. Over the centuries, the Creed family has produced more than 200 perfumes all testifying to the creative spirit that has been passed down from father to son.
Today Olivier Creed, “Créateur Parfumeur” and direct descendant of James Henry Creed, continues this great tradition. It was Olivier who was responsible for changing direction of Creed in the 1970’s and bringing perfumery rather than tailoring to the forefront of the business.
Based in Paris, Creed manufactures many of its essences using a traditional infusion technique
Accompanied by his son Erwin, Olivier travels extensively to source, research, inspect and commission the finest materials. Rose from Bulgaria, Turkey & Morocco; Italian jasmine; Florentine iris; tuberose from India; Haitian vetiver; Bourbon vanilla; Calabrian bergamot and Parma violets. These are just a few of treasures in the Creed laboratory. All these ingredients have been used in haute parfumerie for many centuries, even millenia.
Creed uses the word ‘millesime’ to describe its fragrances. The word comes from the world of wine, translating from the French to mean a great vintage. One of the joys of a perfume which is high in natural oils is that while the quality always remains 100%, the accents of the scent will vary with every vintage.
Each harvest will yield flowers of a slightly varying fragrance depending on hours of sunshine and rainfall. The finished millesime perfume will always follow the same identical formula, but also breathe out an individual signature, just as a precious wine will vary subtly from year to year.
Still based in Paris, with a factory at Fontainebleau, Creed manufactures many of its own essences using a traditional infusion technique which enables Creed to maintain the authenticity of its fragrances. The process is intricate and incredibly meticulous but then true quality doesn’t come easy.
