The House of Creed: A Whiff of Royalty

When King George III sought relief from the odiferous company he kept in an age when showering was not in vogue, it was English saddle-maker James Henry Creed who came to his rescue, bestowing upon the king a pair of specially scented gloves behind which he could shield his royally sensitive nose. The fragrance, Royal English Leather, became a mainstay for the House of Creed.

Over two centuries later, Prince Rainier of Monaco approached the Creed family to create a signature scent derived from the favorite flower of his wife-to-be. The resulting scent, Fleurissimo, was first worn by Grace Kelly on her wedding day and, like Royal English Leather, is still available today.

Passed from father to son since it was founded in 1760, CREED has been in the business of creating signature scents for ten royal houses, Hollywood stars, political leaders, and a discerning public for nearly 250 years, making it one of the 100 oldest family businesses in the world. The seventh generation son, 27-year-old Erwin Creed, began accompanying his father, master perfumer Olivier Creed, to work at the age of eight, and is the designated future head of the Paris-based company.

In an age where celebrity signature scents are a dime-a-dozen (okay, sometimes 50 Cent), Creed remains a house of tradition, committed to unrelenting high standards which include the maceration and filtration systems instituted at the company’s founding, and the industry’s strongest proponent of natural ingredients in fragrance. And, with a client roster that includes Hollywood royalty like Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, as well as actual-royalty like Queen Victoria, these pioneers of the “signature scent” are likely to be setting the standard for another 250 years.