Giving credit where credit is due. That’s the motivation behind the creation of this line of fragrances that embodies the classic art of perfumery.

Like a child who grows up in a circus and knows the trapeze naturally, Frédéric Malle was brought up in a family of perfumers and became sensitized at a very young age to the world of fragrances. It’s no wonder, considering his grandfather was Parfums Christian Dior founder Serge Heftler-Louiche, and his mother the art director of the design giant for many years.

Even though the choice seemed obvious, Malle thought that he would move on to a different field, and for a while he did. But having developed a very acute appreciation for scents, he was asked to work at the famed Roure lab, where his career took a significant turn. “The minute I walked into that lab, I realized that it was home for me,” he reminisces. Having just come from the field of advertising at the time, he found the understated and humble world of perfumers refreshing and inspiring.

Fragrances have always been fronted by famous faces or famous names. No one ever really gives a second thought to the people behind the actual creations. That is what Malle sought to change in 2000 when he founded Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Crazy as it sounds, after selecting nine of the best “noses” in the industry, Malle offered them the ultimate freedom to create their dream fragrances, “fragrances with no limits, with no compromises.” Money was no longer an object and deadlines were a thing of the past. Without such restrictions tainting the results, these famous yet unknown perfumers were given the rare opportunity to develop products that were not only truly their own (and showcased as such), but to be enjoyed with absolute pride.

Simplicity is the key to a successful scent. As Malle explained to me, the simplest formulas or as he puts it, “those that are to the point,” often turn out to be the best. Perfumes that are of poor quality are ones that try to say too many things at once. Asked how one selects the right fragrance for them, Malle turns again to his principle of freedom. There are many clichés in the perfume industry and he is very quick to brush them all off. Simply trust your nose and the emotions that a particular smell invokes. What you like is generally what will suit you and don’t let science or jargon muddle up what you think is best. There isn’t even a “right” way of applying perfumes, he tells me. Dab it or splash it anywhere you like according to the strength of the perfume and be careful with dark fragrances if you apply them on clothes because they’re likely to stain. In terms of guidelines, that’s as much as you need to know really. He did point out that if you wear perfume on your skin, you’ll still have it on even if your clothes are not. Oh the French eh!

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle is available at Holt Renfrew and believe me when I tell you this: The people working there really really know their stuff. After we wrapped up the video shoot, I chatted with a couple of their personnel and before I knew it, I’d lost at least half an hour. I guarantee you’ll be impressed by the service and I have absolutely no doubt that you’ll leave learning volumes about not only these fragrances, but the very interesting science and history behind them all. Look for Bojana!

For more info on the people or the products featured in this piece, visit www.editionsdeparfums.com