Creed Cologne: A Timeless Scent With A Rich History

The House of Creed, an Anglo-French luxury perfume brand, was established in 1760 by James Henry Creed. The brand began as a tailoring house in London's exclusive district of Mayfair. Over the years, Creed has transformed itself from a tailoring business to a leading niche perfume brand, producing some of the finest fragrances for over 260 years. Creed has served multiple famous and royal personalities over the years, including King George III, Queen Victoria, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Winston Churchill, and Michelle Obama.

Creed's origins as a tailoring house

The House of Creed, an Anglo-French perfume house, was originally founded as a tailoring house in London, England, in 1760. James Henry Creed, the founder, opened his business on Conduit Street in Mayfair, London, and began to offer fine fragrances to London's elegant elite.

The Creed family's entrepreneurial history began with leather tailoring, which then expanded to include couturiers before they became perfumers. James Creed left his hometown of Leicester in 1710 for London, where he realised his dreams. His son, Henry, expanded the family business to Paris, thus establishing the company's founding British and French heritage. Henry Creed was the first London tailor to open a store in Paris, and his clientele included members of the British and French royal families.

Henry Creed's son, also named Henry, continued the family business and became known for creating exquisite garments for European royalty. He was awarded by special appointment to Queen Victoria and Principal Courts in Europe in 1860. Henry also created a riding habit for Queen Victoria in 1885, which can now be found in the Kyoto Museum in Japan.

The House of Creed's transition from tailoring to perfumery occurred gradually, with Henry Creed's sons, Henry and James, continuing the family business after their father's death in 1949. The company's focus shifted primarily to fragrances under the leadership of Olivier Creed, who transformed the business from producing 1000 bottles a year to the luxury phenomenon it is today.

King George III's scented gloves

The House of Creed, a luxury perfume house, was founded in 1760 by James Henry Creed. The story of Creed began with a pair of scented gloves delivered to King George III by the tailoring company in the same year as the young king's accession.

King George III was out hunting with his hounds and rested his chin on his gloved hand, inhaling the aroma of the scented gloves. The gloves were made of leather and this inspired Creed's first fragrance, Royal English Leather, in 1781. The scent was created in honour of the king.

James Creed was appointed as an official perfume supplier to the Royal Household by Queen Victoria, King George III's granddaughter. The House of Creed became the go-to perfume house for Napoleon and his Empress, Eugenie, the stylish leader of European fashion at the time. The company has since created some of the finest fragrances for the discerning and has solidified its reputation as one of the best perfume houses in the world.

Over the centuries, The Creed family has produced over 200 perfumes, all testifying to a unique creative spirit, an inherited nose, and impeccable style, passed down from father to son through seven generations. Today, The House of Creed is the only fragrance house still using a 4,000-year-old infusion technique to capture the highest quality concentration of natural essential oils in all its artisanal fragrances.

Creed's royal appointments

Creed has also created fragrances for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie of France, Franz-Joseph and Elizabeth of Austro-Hungary, Queen Christina of Spain, Princess Grace of Monaco, Michelle Obama, Winston Churchill, and Frank Sinatra.

Creed's sixth-generation master perfumer, Olivier Creed, presented the Royal Service fragrance in 2011 to mark the successful start of the House of Creed's 250 years as a privately-owned family fragrance dynasty. Creed Royal Service is a unique, limited-edition collector's fragrance hand-blended with flowers, fruits, and spices from Creed scents worn by royal and famous women.

The move to Paris

The House of Creed's move to Paris was instigated by Empress Eugénie of France, who was one of the company's earliest supporters. Creed first began as a tailoring business in London in 1760, when James Henry Creed opened his business on Conduit Street in Mayfair. The company soon expanded into fragrances, creating a scent called Royal English Leather for King George III in 1781.

Queen Victoria appointed Creed as her official perfume supplier, and the company began to attract the attention of other European royalty. James Creed became the perfumer of choice for Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie of France, Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi of Austria-Hungary, and Queen Christina of Spain.

With the support of Empress Eugénie, Creed moved to Paris, where it has been based ever since. The company's new headquarters allowed it to continue to create its legacy of rare and unparalleled fragrances for men and women, attracting perfume aficionados and those with a taste for quality and luxury.

Henry Creed, the founder's son, lived in Paris and Nice, with the latter being just 25km from Grasse, the birthplace of perfumery. After Henry Creed's death, his son (also named Henry) and grandson James, the father of Olivier, inherited the family business. Sewing retained a special place in the family, with Henry's son Charles working as an apprentice at Linton Tweeds and later joining the British Fashion Institute.

In 1935, Charles joined the family business, taking over the running of the house in Paris. During this time, Creed continued to thrive, with record sales in the US in 1939. After the death of Henry Senior in 1949, James and the young Olivier Creed continued the legacy of La Maison Creed. Olivier is credited with transforming the house and creating the iconic perfume Aventus.

Aventus for Men

The finest ingredients were hand-selected for this composition, and father and son developed this provocative, masculine, and optimistic fragrance as a joint effort.

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