The 2023 Henry Jacques Rose de Mai collection is a tribute to an exceptional ingredient and forms a new Collection de L‘Atelier. On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Parfums Henry Jacques CEO Anne-Lise Cremona spoke of the encounter. “The story is quite simple, we are from the south of France – and as far as we are concerned, we have always worked with natural roses from different countries so it was always a dream to plant our own,” she says. “Having said that, when we found the land for our own lab in La Motte located in the middle of a vineyard, we had to have the authorisation to establish our laboratory and for that we needed to plant. So this really pushed us towards our dream, it’s been a long process.”
That process has yielded a harvest so elegant and pure that Henry Jacques decided create the Collection de ‘LAtelier, a limited edition run of 500 hand-crafted chests which contain three unique scents derived from the 2023 rose vintage, priced at RM45,000. Each 30ml bottle within this chest showcases a different dimension of the Henry Jacques Rose de Mai. Rose Très Rose is a tribute to purity, while Rose Soleil offers the quintessential French-style perfume and the Rose Azur is both charismatic with a gradual revelation of the enigmatic rose.
For Cremona, who took the reins of the company from her father who founded Parfums Henry Jacques in 1975, the process of creation is rooted in three guiding principles; an ancestral savoir-faire “so much of what we know is passed down from generations before that to go against it would be a crime”, making the right choices in prioritising quality over price “some of the components we work with are much more valuable than gold”, and finally protecting the creative process “we never rush the result, it has to be right.”
What are your personal fragrance rituals?
What do you do that is still analogue?
All the collections are designed by hand. The creation of the perfume is always with the nose.
What do you crave most at the end of the day?
Swimming in the Mediterranean. I work for my summer – I have a little house on an island in Italy, and this is my dream.
How do you find calm?
I love going to art museums, it’s an escape from the crowd.
Who is your guru?
I love admiration – today what I find difficult in this world is that people envy more than admire. I admire a lot of people because I’m naturally curious about their skills. I’ve had the pleasure for two strong presences; my father and my uncle. And I have Christophe Tollemer, the artistic director of Henry Jacques who helps me stay focused.
What is your favourite cocktail?
At the moment it’s the negroni. In summer I like a rosé and the Passito – an Italian wine made of dried grapes with a hint of liquorice and served with ice, which originates from the island of Pantelleria.
What is the most impressive dish that you cook?
Le tarte tatin. I do a big tray and it’s very impressive.
What is the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection?
Probably this bejewelled Clic-Clac. It’s so chic and feminine – during dinner it allows me to reapply a bit of perfume. This Clic-Clac is very complex to make, combining titanium with jewellery.
Your favourite restaurant in Paris?
Le Relais Plaza – it’s located in front of our Avenue Montaigne boutique and is very French.
What song are you listening to right now?
I listen to Italian music now. The French classics are great but a bit depressing. Now I have an amazing Italian playlist – and the one that I play often is called “Ancora, Ancora, Ancora.”
Your idea of happiness?
You know when you have a pearl necklace – it’s one pearl after another. Happiness is never one big thing. Nothing replaces all the little moments – I believe that real happiness doesn’t exist because we always face sad moments as well. And I like very much a sentence from a French playwright Marcel Pagnol who originated from the south of France, who used to say: “we need a lot of little happiness to face Life’s difficulties.” And maybe that’s why I love my job because I see it gives happiness to people.
Photography: Courtesy of Parfums Henry Jacques
