History and creation of the perfume house
Something old, something new, something beautiful...
Beautiful fragrances are created from beautiful memories. These perfumed essences can travel through time seamlessly, from old to new, from then to now, from yesteryear to today, evoking times gone by to time regained. A perfume house can also be built on an unexpected event that ties in the past to the present.
This story happened many years ago...
Napoléon Bonaparte was passing through the center of a small town in the South of France. The bright air was sweet with aromatic notes of orange blossom, rosemary and lavender that drifted from a perfumer’s shop set across a small square.
The leader of France, renowned for his passion for perfume, requested some fragrances to sample. He was so dazzled by the precious juices that he commanded the perfumer to join him at court to create a bespoke fragrance that would become part of his immortal identity.
The perfumer arrived in Paris, accompanied by a beautiful woman who never left his side. After several months of artistic explorations away from the public eye, he requested an audience with Napoléon and confidently handed him a bottle. Even before he removed the stopper, the Emperor could feel something magical was about to happen. The small vial held more than he ever expected. Suddenly, without any warning, he was breathing in an intoxicating fragrance that released captured memories of his childhood, of his lost and found loves, of dreams and possibilities, of triumphant victories.
He was enraptured by this scent which was unlike any other in the world. He ordered the perfumer to keep its composition a secret and not allow anyone else to even smell it until he wore it. In appreciation, he showered the master perfumer with rewards and honors for the creation of this signature perfume that made him feel empowered and inspired.
For many years, however, the perfumer had been concealing a secret. He was not the creator of these exquisite fragrances; they were the compositions of the mysterious and alluring woman who followed him like his shadow. She hid her talent while he gained the glory. For hundreds of years, male apothecaries and chemists had practiced the art of perfumery, ruled the perfume trade and passed for the inventors of many glorious scents because the universe of perfume was closed to women.
Disastrously, a court servant discovered this secret a while later. Finding himself near the perfumer's inseparable companion, he became intoxicated by the smell of her skin; it seemed soaked with the scent reserved for Napoleon. He immediately informed the Emperor who became outraged and ordered the execution of the perfumer. The woman knew she would be the next target of the leader's wrath and escaped under cover of darkness to save her life. She became a fugitive on the roads, heading to the South of France where she hoped to take refuge with her family. Later on, she moved further away to Italy with other relatives. Shattered by these tragic events, she renounced her perfume-making skills forever. She married and allowed her maiden name – AMAFFI – to fade and disappear.
This story was passed down from generation to generation and was told to Madame Amaffi by her great-grandmother. This enthralling adventure further awakened her natural passion for sumptuous fragrances and opulent perfumes.
CREATION OF THE PERFUME HOUSE
For a romantic like Madame Amaffi, this story was inspirational. She felt a great affinity with this mysterious beauty whose talent was restrained by the cruel customs of that period. They were namesakes and shared a love for perfumes. She would do what this exceptional perfume artist could not and create her own perfume house: AMAFFI Perfumes. This resolution was followed by the time-consuming and challenging task of studying ingredients, exploring perfume-making technologies and other skills and practices necessary to guarantee the success of this venture. Although she was not a professional perfumer, she possessed keen intuitive knowledge and was a sophisticated connoisseur of fragrances. She considered this house, not as a commercial endeavor but as the means by which great classical perfumery would be reborn.
Great perfumes are masterpieces as precious as Haute joaillerie, as visually stunning as a great painting, as emotionally inspiring as a sonata.
Madame Amaffi has worked tirelessly for many years with the best international perfumers. This project has culminated in the creation and presentation of prodigious perfumes to the world: masterpieces eagerly sought-after by connoisseurs. Today, AMAFFI Perfume House is proud to showcase these fragrances in its own boutiques.
