FINE THINGS
GENTLEMEN MUST HAVE SCENTS
CLIVE CHRISTIAN NO.1 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS “MOST EXPENSIVE PERFUME”
The launch of the Clive Christian Perfume
House in 1999 heralded the return of luxury
perfume to the world stage. As custodian
of a British perfumery first established in
1872 and uniquely granted the image of
Queen Victoria’s crown, Clive Christian revived the original values of the perfumery,
creating only pure perfumes with complex
formulae that use the most rare and precious ingredients in their most concentrated forms. This vision of luxury perfume
culminated in the release of the Original
Collection headlined by No1, recognised
by Guinness World Records as The World’s
Most Expensive Perfume. The perfume
connoisseur’s choice is always for the highest concentration possible, and for Clive
Christian Perfume aficionados, the definitive article is the Pure Perfume in its iconic
hand-cut crystal bottle with imperial crown
stopper.
Its position at the pinnacle of the luxury
perfume world has ensured commissions
to create unique presentations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Jubilee and the Royal
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine
EIGHT & BOB “WORN OF THE WORLD’S MOST ELEGANT MEN”
Albert Fouquet, the son of a Parisian
aristocrat, was part of elite French society of the early twentieth century and
a perfume connoisseur. In a room in the
upper floor of the family chateau, Fouquet created and perfected various essences for his own personal use aided
by Philippe, the family butler. One night
during his summer vacation in 1937 on
the French Riviera (Cote d’Azur), Albert
got on very well with a young American student who was touring France in
a convertible: John F. Kennedy. Within
minutes of being introduced, the vain
JFK was captivated by the essence
that Albert wore. Kennedy’s charm and
congeniality persuaded Albert to leave
him a sample of his cologne with a note
at the hotel the following morning: “In
this jar, you will find the dash of French
glamour that your American personality lacks.” On returning from his vaca-
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tion, Albert received a letter from John
in the U.S. thanking him for the kind gesture and informing him of the success
his perfume was enjoying among his
friends. He requested that Albert send
him eight samples, “and if your production allows, another one for Bob”. Albert
sent the perfume in beautiful glass jars
and labeled them with John’s amusing
request: “EIGHT&BOB”. Request from
hollywood directors, producers and actors flowed in, and after Albert’s death in
a car accident and world war II where
his butler Phillippe who had been filling
orders was forced to leave the job, the
brand descended into obscurity. Thanks
to Phillippe’s family, decades later the
formula has been recovered and today
the world’s most elegant men can once
again enjoy this exclusive cologne.
PRICE TAG: US$195
Middleton. Clive Christian Perfumes are
chosen by legends of the music world Sir
Elton John and Beyoncé, legends of the
sports world Michael Jordan and Serena
Williams and Hollywood ‘Royalty’ when
Katie Holmes chose No1 Perfume as the
wedding perfume for her marriage to Tom
Cruise.
NOTES
No1 for Women - Serene and sophisticated
with ylang-ylang at its heart, the fragrance
reveals a gentle Tahitian vanilla; an ingredient which takes six months to crystallise
and gain the desired delicate spice.
No1 for Men - Understated yet powerfully
distinctive, this refined perfume is rich with
ancient Indian sandalwood. This original
fragrance represents an accomplished
and uncompromising character.
PRICE TAG: A single ounce, or 30 ml, costs
US$2,350.
Clive Christian No. 1 – Imperial Majesty will
set you back approximately US$215,000.