PARIS — Frédéric Malle is poised to depart his eponymous area of interest fragrance brand, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle.

“A number of words to let you recognize that today is a very important step in my life and within the lifetime of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, as I even have decided to part ways with the corporate at the tip of June,” Malle said in a press release. 

“Twenty-five years ago, I began working on Editions de Parfums in an try and create a direct link between the most effective perfumers within the industry and probably the most demanding public,” he continued. “In doing so, I created a platform where noses could express themselves fully and be so pleased with their work that they’d need to sign it with their names. I couldn’t have foreseen that what became the primary publishing house for ‘noses’ would reveal these artists to the world in such a robust way, show the general public that perfume might be an art form and lay the foundations of the artisanal perfumery movement.

“I owe this success to the talent and generosity of perfumers who followed me then and to the various others who’ve since enriched our eclectic collection,” Malle said. “I also need to thank the entire other artists in addition to our staff, especially the perfume experts working in our stores, who help each visitor discover a perfume that can echo their personality. Their each day work makes the entire creative freedom that we give to perfumers possible. Last but not least, I would like to thank the members of The Estée Lauder Corporations, who’ve developed and guarded Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle since 2015, and who I do know will proceed to implement the founding principles that make the corporate I created unique.”

Stéphane de La Faverie, executive group president, The Estée Lauder Cos., said: “When Frédéric launched his brand in 2000, he disrupted the fragrance industry by giving a voice and platform to the world’s biggest perfumers. Frédéric’s avant-garde approach to restore freedom and creativity to perfumery resulted within the creation of a real luxury brand of fragrance masterpieces. 

“We’re proud to have grown Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle alongside Frédéric and can proceed to honor his inspiration and uncompromising dedication to perfumery into the longer term,” continued de La Faverie. “We’re so grateful for his collaboration, creativity and vision, and need him much success.”

Malle indeed pioneered the area of interest fragrance business, which today — 1 / 4 of a century later — drives the red-hot perfume category.

In 2000, when he decided to open a fragrance store, Malle didn’t just create one other luxury brand emporium. As an alternative, he conjured up a recent idea: a fragrance publishing house. Slightly than selling books, the boutique carried scents blended by among the world’s best-known perfumers, and he put their names on each of his namesake brand’s fragrances. Prior to that, perfumers were kept behind the scenes.

The primary, 670-square-foot Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle boutique was positioned in Paris on Rue de Grenelle. From its name to the tomes of Proust and Wilde lining the partitions, the publishing theme couldn’t be missed.

Malle gave carte blanche to seven perfumers, including Pierre Bourdon, Jean-Claude Ellena and Michel Roudnitska, to design their dream scents. Nobody contacted turned down the offer to work with him.

In-store, Malle made selecting a perfume an actual experience. Customers could check out the scents the identical way professionals do while making a juice. After being asked about their fragrance preferences by young perfumers employed as sales staff, they’ll sample scents in columns designed by Malle. Those were hole, with air jets into which his fragrances might be spritzed.

In June 2000, Malle told WWD, “there’s an actual marketplace for real perfumery.” 

He was right. Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle became a trailblazer. 

The brand’s allure was not lost on the Estée Lauder Cos., which announced in November 2014 it had signed to amass the brand. On the time, the Malle collection had grown to comprise 21 fragrances created by 12 master perfumers worldwide. The brand had just opened its second Latest York store and counted three in Paris.

“Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle represents the epitome of elegance,” Fabrizio Freda, president and chief executive of Lauder on the time of the acquisition’s announcement, told WWD in November 2014. “Malle’s uncompromising dedication to pure perfumery has established him as probably the most sought-after collaborator by the world’s most talented perfumers. He has created a real luxury brand that augments our portfolio of prestige beauty products.”

Within the area of interest segment, Lauder had just purchased Le Labo in October 2014. Two years later, it added one other French label to its coffers — By Kilian — expanding the group’s collection of luxury fragrances.

Malle, whose creative tie-ins have included ones with the late Alber Elbaz and with Pierre Hardy, was granted the 2018 Game Changer award by The Fragrance Foundation within the U.S.

In 2020, to assist have a good time the primary twenty years of his brand, Malle got here out with a book of his various inspirations and creations, called “Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle: The First Twenty Years.”

Most recently, in one other first, Pimples Studio’s debut perfume was created with Malle. The fragrance, Pimples Studios par Frédéric Malle, which launched on April 17, was a gathering of minds — and aesthetics.

As Malle leaves Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, he join the ranks of others who’ve exited the area of interest perfume brands they founded. Amongst them are Eddie Roschi and Fabrice Penot from Le Labo, and Sylvie Ganter-Cervasel and Christophe Cervasel, from Atelier Cologne, which was acquired by L’Oréal in 2016.