During my recent anniversary trip to London, I stepped through the doors of Floris on Jermyn Street to create a perfume that had never existed before.
Founded in 1730 by Juan Famenias Floris and his wife Elizabeth, Floris is Britain’s oldest independent family-owned perfumer. Nearly three centuries later, the house still operates from its original home at 89 Jermyn Street, where creating a fragrance feels like stepping into British perfume history.
Nearly Three Centuries of British Perfumery
Floris was awarded its first Royal Warrant by King George IV in 1820 and has since served generations of the British Royal Family. Today, it proudly holds a Royal Warrant by appointment to His Majesty King Charles III, a testament to its enduring craftsmanship and heritage.
Its archives read like a who’s who of history. Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe and Ian Fleming were among its distinguished clients, with Fleming even referencing Floris in the James Bond novels.
When a Fragrance Becomes Personal
The bespoke consultation wasn’t about following trends or predicting the next bestseller. Instead, the perfumer wanted to understand who I am. We spoke about my fragrance preferences, the scents I naturally gravitate towards and the emotions I wanted the perfume to evoke. It was a thoughtful collaboration that transformed memories and preferences into a fragrance that feels entirely my own.
As someone who has spent years writing about fragrance, what intrigued me most was experiencing the creative process from the other side of the table. Smelling raw materials individually is one thing; understanding how they interact, evolve and eventually become a balanced composition is something entirely different. The bespoke process offers a rare glimpse into the craftsmanship behind fine perfumery, and an even greater appreciation for the perfumer’s art.
Every adjustment mattered. A little more depth here, a touch more brightness there. Tiny refinements that subtly changed the character of the fragrance until everything felt perfectly balanced. It shows that creating a perfume is as much about precision and restraint as it is about creativity.
Introducing Encore Nous
Every bespoke fragrance deserves a name.
Mine is Encore Nous.
French for “still us,” it celebrates twenty years together. A fragrance that captures a love story that continues to evolve while always returning to the same truth. Unlike a fragrance created for thousands of people, this one exists for just two. That is what makes it so extraordinary.
If beauty is a language, then fragrance may well be its most personal dialect. Creating Encore Nous was about giving a lifetime of memories a scent of their own. A memorable experience I can highly recommend.