The first twenty years…

EDITIONS DE PARFUMS FREDERIC MALLE 
FIRST TWENTY YEARS

Book “The First Twenty Years” by Rizzoli
As told by Frédéric Malle, 
Foreword by Jean-Claude Ellena, Text by Marion Vignal

Born into the world of perfume (his grandfather was the founder of Parfums Christian Dior), Frédéric Malle’s deep knowledge of scents and his radical vision of perfumes led him, in 2000, to establish Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, a house for perfumers where fragrances are conceived as haute couture creations.  At a time when the self-service sale of perfumes was on the rise, Malle chose to open a boutique that would provide a luxurious setting for the perfumes he “publishes” with the world’s greatest perfumers.  Malle’s determination has been to champion the art of perfumery itself, granting perfumers total and complete freedom to create, furnishing them with exceptional raw materials and releasing all boundaries and constraints, restoring the art of perfume making to its former glory.

This October, to mark the twentieth anniversary of Frédéric Malle’s quest for beauty and creative freedom, Rizzoli will publish Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle: The First Twenty Years. A necessary addition to the libraries of industry masters, this volume is an exploration of the inspirations and vision of one of the great protagonists of contemporaryperfume.

2020 marks a historic date for the house: twenty years of audacity and creativity. Twenty years of shifting paradigms in the exacting world of perfumery.  In Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle: The First Twenty Years, Malle offers readers an intimate glimpse into his brand’s saga and shares the stories behind four of his most successful scents in graphic-novel form.  Journalist Marion Vignal delves into Malle’s lifelong devotion to perfume, personal history, and myriad inspirations to uncover the evolution of his precise olfactory aesthetics, while imagery of perfume bottles, sketches, advertising campaigns, and photos of boutiques explores his comprehensive vision. With art direction by Patrick Li, the book features an eclectic palette of imagery from the personal archives of the founder, as well as illustrations, unique sketches and authentic stories about Malle’s collaboration with Perfumers. 

Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle: The First Twenty Years is an invitation to a sensorial journey that will delight perfume lovers everywhere.  This volume invites faithful connoisseurs of haute perfumery and lovers of fine craftsmanship alike to join in celebrating an authentic, audacious, exacting, and rich brand. 

About the Authors: Frédéric Malle is a French perfume expert, publisher and aesthete. He founded Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle in 2000. Jean-Claude Ellena, perfumer and writer, is one of the 14 world-renowned perfume creators with whom Malle collaborates. Marion Vignal is the head of design and architecture at the major French magazine L’Express as well as the author of numerous design and lifestyle publications. Patrick Li is the founder of Li, Inc. and creative director of The New York Times – T Magazine.

© Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle: The First Twenty Years by Frédéric Malle, Rizzoli New York, 2020.