The Secret Of Scents

Anne-Lise Cremona, The Scion And CEO Of French Perfumer Henry Jacques – The Famed ‘perfumer To Royalty’ – Talks About The Brand’s Latest Creation And Why Perfumes, For Her, Are “essential To The Soul”

- Hillary Kang

Anne-Lise Cremona has an intimate, long-lasting relationship with perfumes and scents. It seems only natural, since she’s the daughter of Henry Jacques, whose eponymous perfumery business was famed for catering to royalty and high society since its inception in 1975.

But Cremona’s relationship with perfumes transcend the fiscal. She grew up next to the Henry Jacques laboratory in France, and spent many a happy afternoon with her parents discussing not just the business, but the stories and experiences surrounding the world of perfumery. “Our family lunches were very animated,” she recalls. “We were never bored.”

Today, Cremona is the CEO of Henry Jacques, having taken over the reins from her father, and is keen on shepherding the family business into a new era. The Maison’s latest invention is proof of that. The Clic-Clac is, functionally, a case for solid perfumes, but the intricacies of the object run much deeper.

Here, Cremona explains why the Clic-Clac took over four years and multiple Swiss watchmaking techniques to create, and explains why perfumes serve as a “balm” for her heart.

Where did the idea for the Clic-Clac come from? The idea came from a need that is specific to our times, our generation. We like this idea of being accompanied by our perfume collections: This is the ultimate refinement. But on the practical level, it can be complicated... unless you love going around with your luggage of perfumes – which some of our clients do.