Revamp: Telling the Story Vilhelm Parfumerie
By Jo Phillips
Every smell has a deep connection in our minds and hearts. One of the main reasons perfume is so powerful is our emotional connection to aromas. The idea that a smell can transport us back in an instant to a childhood memory or happy moment is core to many of the greatest perfumes every created.
Unsurprisingly then, stories are at the centre of Vilhelm perfumes. Each Vilhelm perfume is individually crafted to elicit a memory, real or imagined of early 1900s Paris. This was the age of founder Jan Ahlgren’s grandfather, whom the brand Vilhelm Parfumerie owes its name to. He was an eccentric debonair gentleman who had a profound impact on Jan. The colours and energies and rhythms of the age become more apparent with every note of the perfume. Each perfume is the culmination of a collaborative creative process, expressed and bottled in a contemporary retake on olfactory aesthetic. Every element of Vilhelm Parfumerie is personally and carefully crafted to evoke another age.
Jan was formerly a handbag designer and before that a model, but it was the act of working with leather bags in the studio that sparked the idea that kindled the brand. He had read that glove makers in 17th and 18th century Paris would scent their gloves, so he enlisted master perfumer Jerome epinette to recreate the scent of the workshop. Fragrance production was such a natural talent for Jan that he decided to take it up full-time and make it the focus of his creativity. In the UK his scents are exclusive to Liberty London.
Now, the perfumery is releasing six of their best-selling fragrances in exquisite travel containers. Crafted to maintain the elegance and quality of the full sized originals, these are the perfect companions to the roughest journeys, due to their enhanced durability and reduced size. Vilhelm Parfumerie Travel size is available in six scents: Dear Polly, Purple Fig, Morning Chess, Dirty Velvet, A Lilac A Day and Room Service. They retail for £60 at Liberty London.