Clive Christian Perfume is a leading independent British perfume house with a vision to create the world’s finest perfumes. It boasts the world’s most expensive perfume as recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. The brand’s predecessor, the Crown Perfumery Company established in 1872, is the only house ever to have been granted permission to use Queen Victoria’s crown on its bottles. An image that defines every bottle of Clive Christian perfume to this day. The iconic crown image only further symbolises Clive Christian’s exclusivity, regal feel and British pride, embellishing each hypnotic perfume scent with a touch of magnificence. In addition, all Clive Christian perfumes are 20% perfume concentration or above, meaning they are all classified as pure perfume. If applied correctly, pure perfume should last for at least 8 hours. The only demand behind each luxury fragrance was sheer perfection. The finest ingredients, the rarest temptations of the senses, exhilarating and enthralling all at once.
History of the House:
In 1978, Clive Christian founded Clive Christian Furniture. His every creation represented grandeur, dedication to the familial and the romantic, a place to be remembered and where memories were made. Beyond furniture, Clive Christian turned his unwavering focus and desire to create toward luxury fragrances, with a view to revive the industry by bringing the same artistic beauty and attention to detail that had made his interior designs so sought after.
Both following and paving the path of luxury, Clive Christian seized the opportunity to purchase the Crown Perfumery Company in 1999, and established Clive Christian Perfume. Truly, a match formed in a hedonist’s heaven: an empire driven by the splendour and British history acquiring the only perfumery given the right by Queen Victoria herself to use the image of her crown, in turn bestowing Clive Christian with the now world-renowned crown bottle-stoppers.
The No1 Perfume:
Clive Christian Perfume are creators of the world’s finest perfumes. The finest of all perhaps is No1, the perfume Clive Christian refers to as “the perfume of my heart”. Using only the most precious, rare and highest quality ingredients, No1 is the very essence of perfume creativity. Taking this celebrated perfume Clive Christian developed a magnificently decorated crystal flacon for No 1, a piece of extraordinary beauty and rarity, No1 Passant Guardant, which became officially recognised as “The World’s Most Expensive Perfume”. The intricate detail and elaborate design is an ode to the complexity of this perfume, a celebration of extraordinary craftsmanship and the grandeur of precious materials.
Clive Christian has named this rare work of exquisite craftmanship No1 Passant Guardant. Taking the perfume house’s signature crystal bottle and adorning it in fine, handcrafted, 24 carat gold lattice-work, creating a glittering ode to pure perfume. The upper part of the heraldic crest is from Clive Christian’s own coat of arms, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal College of Arms in 1999 and dating to when he took custodianship of the Crown Perfumery. Embedded in the lattice-work are more than 2000 individually set flawless white diamonds. Set in the eyes of the lion standing “passant guardant” over the Crown are two yellow diamonds, whilst a rare pink diamond marks out the lion’s tongue. This work of art is a sensually opulent homage to the fragrance within, No1 Sandalwood.
Original Collection:
In 1999 Clive Christian launched the ‘Original Collection’, featuring a trio of fragrances in both men’s and women’s versions, tailored to perfectly complement one another. The first, ‘1872’, pays homage to the year Queen Victoria honoured the Crown Perfumery Company with her symbol. The feminine edition is a celebration of the British summertime, a serene melody of vibrant floral notes and citrus tones, whilst the masculine edition showcases a spiced infusion of Sandalwood and Cedar.
The second fragrance in the collection is arguably the most resplendent. Known simply as “No 1”, the feminine edition is nothing if not spectacular; “Clive Christian’s magnum opus. Rare and exotic flora are rendered timeless in this sparkling homage to the East. A floral oriental with fruity top notes of plum, mirabelle, white peach and bergamot which slowly and sensually unravel to reveal jasmine, carnation and rose.” The masculine edition is no less sumptuous, the essence of refined masculinity encapsulated in a masterful blend of precious ingredients.
The third and final scent is ‘X’, an aphrodisiacal offering, created to tempt. The feminine edition emulates a femme fatale – subtly seductive, a mesmerising combination of Cashmeran Musk and Jasmine. The masculine edition is equally as intriguing, formed from far-flung exotic extracts.
Private Collection:
In 2010, the Private Collection was born, a selection of emotive and evocative fragrances as a tribute to Clive Christian’s love of family. It is a reflection of life’s most precious moments, stories spun with contemporary scents and bottled – snapshots caught in ten vivid perfumes.
Noble Collection:
A proud and patriotic family of scents shaped by the most celebrated horticultural, architectural and artistic periods of British history. The ‘Noble Collection’ fragrances take inspiration from the spirit of nobility, and the exquisite flora of the gardens that surround Christian’s own Queen Anne residence. As ever, his own fondness for beauty touches every detail of his empire.
A balance between traditional culture and contemporary art is perhaps what makes Clive Christian so special – each creation perfectly melds together the beauty of the past with a vision for the future.
Addictive Arts:
The most recent addition is the ‘Addictive Arts’, a spellbinding trio of fragrances concocted with seductive, sybaritic elements to thrill the pleasure-seekers and sensualists. The names themselves conjure imagery of the wild and the reckless – Jump Up And Kiss Me, Chasing The Dragon and Vision In A Dream. Each intoxicating scent is created to intrigue and excite, and awake the senses in a way only the most masterful can accomplish.
Truly, what sets Clive Christian apart is the unwavering dedication to their creations. Each fragrance is complex, with meticulously selected raw and rare elements, from British flora to exotic, far-flung notes of cinnamon and cardamom. The concentration of pure perfume in each bottled masterpiece guarantees both intensity and longevity, closer to the skin than any other cosmetic or apparel.
