Van Cleef & Arpels is a French Maison founded by Alfred Van Cleef and Salomon Arpels in 1896.
Initially, Alfred Van Cleef married the daughter of his uncle Salomon Arpels, and the latter became his business partner.
The company initially didn't focus on fragrances, but rather on promoting jewelry and watches. However, after Salomon Arpels's death in 1906, Van Cleef decided to re-join the business with his cousin Jules Arpels, thus continuing the company's operations.
The following years could only benefit the company, as it saw the opening of boutiques in several locations, such as Deauville, Nice, Monte-Carlo, and Le Touquet. Upon Van Cleef's death in 1938, his daughter Rachel took over the company until her death in Vichy. The second generation followed, with the company and the descendants of the Arpels family moving to New York, opening additional boutiques.
The first fragrance from Van Cleef & Arpels was created in 1976; it is aptly named "First" and can still be purchased today. This perfume is unique, like the others, precisely because it is comparable to a jewel that can only be perceived through scent, but not touched like a material accessory.
The most recent collection dates back to 2019.
The brand's signature perfume collection is the Collection Extraordinaire, which also includes fragrances inspired by stories . For example, Nèroli Amara and Ambre Impèrial are perfumes inspired by the love story of the Princess of Neroli and the Orient, respectively, where perfumes were born.
There are also other perfumes inspired by specific events but not connected to historical events: these were created simply to have certain scents. One of these is the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinair Gardénia Pétale perfume: the latter has jasmine and lily of the valley as its main fragrance, combined with a fresh, green main fragrance that allows the wearer to give a completely sensual image .
A second perfume from the same collection, for women, is the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinair Orchidée Vanille.
This perfume has vanilla as its main fragrance, and this is further linked to notes of certain fruits, such as: mandarin, Bulgarian rose, chocolate and tonka bean.
Conversely, if you're looking for a men's perfume, then an excellent perfume from the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels could be Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme: this last perfume is unique, precisely because it was created in 1978 by Louis Monnet, the first in the category of men's perfumes. It is characterized by the following olfactory pyramid: Top notes: basil, juniper berries, bergamot, marjoram, lavender and thyme; Heart notes: patchouli, jasmine, rose, vetiver and guaiac woods; Base notes: incense, musk and amber. These notes make the perfume classic, magnetic to anyone who wears it and above all refined, timeless and endowed with absolute intensity. The choice of Van Cleef & Arpels perfume derives exclusively from the individual's personality , from their interest in the stories told by each perfume and the essences that compose it.
