- Christophe Tollemer Perfumer:
Christophe Tollemer is a remarkable figure in the world of luxury fragrance and design. He serves as the artistic director of the esteemed French luxury fragrance brand, Henry Jacques.
Tollemer is widely revered in the design realm for his transformative and technically intricate projects. He has an impressive portfolio that includes high - elevation refurbishments of luxury ski retreats like Aman le Mélézin and Hôtel les Airelles in the French Alps. He also holds the distinction of being the only French architect to convert palaces into hotels, such as La Bastide de Gordes, a medieval residence turned into a grand heritage hotel overlooking a Provencal hilltop village. More recently, he worked on the royal grounds of Versailles, renovating historic buildings into Le Grand Contrôle, a lavish 18th - century - style hotel.
His association with Henry Jacques stems from his long - standing friendship with the founding Cremona family. When the family decided to open up their exclusive world of bespoke fragrances to the public, they asked Tollemer to step in as artistic director. His tasks have been wide - ranging, from designing the brand's bottles, perfume cabinets, gift chests, to creating stand - alone boutiques.
In designing the perfume bottles for Henry Jacques, Tollemer came up with diverse concepts to complement the brand's unique, nuanced, and painstakingly crafted scents. All of his designs are hand - drawn, with a strong emphasis on symmetry and balance. He ensures that each bottle can capture and reflect light, illuminating the essence of the perfume inside, regardless of its color. The hand - blown crystal bottles he designed vary greatly in shape. For example, the Les Classiques de HJ collection features sleek, minimalist vials, while the Les Toupies line has playful yet intricate flacons that resemble toy spinning tops. In the jewellery collection, his designed bottles are embedded with different precious stones and accented with gold lattice work, matching the opulence of the couture scents.
When it comes to the boutiques, Tollemer has worked to create a shopping environment that reflects the brand's exclusive services and refined values. The brand's first stand - alone boutique, which opened in late 2017 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, was designed to resemble a historic Parisian apartment. It is furnished elegantly, with art pieces arranged alongside the fragrance collections, giving customers a sense of intimacy and luxury, as if they were in a private and tastefully decorated home. His designs for Henry Jacques boutiques around the world, including the one in Hong Kong, are true testaments to his creativity and understanding of the brand's heritage, making every boutique a unique Henry Jacques creation that seamlessly blends the brand's historical grandeur with modern - day elegance.
