Family-owned luxury fragrance house Maison Lesquendieu, led by third-generation owner Managing Director Jérôme Lesquendieu, vows to ‘awaken the sleeping beauty of haute parfumerie’ as the company sets its sights on international and travel retail expansion.
A family affair
Maison Lesquendieu was founded in 1903 by Jérôme’s grandfather, Joseph Lesquendieu. The company is centred around French heritage, family and haute parfumerie tradition and boasts seven decades of fragrance excellence.
Founder Joseph Lesquendieu made a name in the world of luxury fragrances by foregoing budgetary constraints in favour of choosing only the finest quality ingredients. The maison quickly gained the trust of affluent clients in Paris and the Lesquendieu name soon gained notoriety amongst luxury clients in North America.
The brand became so popular with clients in the US that Maison Lesquendieu established an American division in 1904, just one year after its launch, in 45 West Street in New York City.
By the time of Joseph Lesquendieu’s passing in 1962, the brand had become fully established amongst luxury fragrance connoisseurs. His perfumes were produced up until the 1980s, when the company ceased production. It remained dormant until 2015, when Joseph’s grandson, Jérôme took the reins of the company and relaunched the Maison Lesquendieu brand with a bold new view of the future.
Commenting on his vision to reawaken the ‘sleeping beauty’ of haute parfumerie, Jérôme Lesquendieu said, “I am proud to represent the third generation of the Lesquendieu family and to lead the company in perpetuating the passion handed down to us by my grandfather.
“I am as determined as our founder in the quest for excellence, and am personally involved at each step of the process, from creation to manufacturing. My approach remains loyal to a tradition that can be traced back to the 1900s, rarely found in the perfume creations of today.”
The Sleeping Beauty awakens
Today, Maison Lesquendieu’s approach still honours the same traditions and techniques as when the brand was first founded at the turn of the century.
In 2016, the maison launched five new fragrances: Glorilis de Lesquendieu, Feu de Bengale de Lesquendieu, Bonne Fortune de Lesquendieu, Lesquendieu le Parfum and Lilice de Lesquendieu.
Glorilis de Lesquendieu offers an unexpected olfactive signature inspired by the rich sillage of natural essential oils. The scent combines Bergamot and Black Pepper top notes with floral notes of Rose, Labdanum and Geranium. It closes with powerful base notes of Vetiver, Incense and Cedar.
Feu de Bengale de Lesquendieu combines Madagascan Vanilla, Bulgarian rose oil, Yellow Italian Mandarin, with fruity notes of Davana; while Bonne Fortune de Lesquendieu combines a fresh explosion of Bergamot, Grapefruit, Ginger and Mandarin essential oils with Gaiac wood, Tonka Bean and Cedar base notes.
Lesquendieu le Parfum blends bold notes of Bergamot and Jasmin Tea with leathery accords; while Lilice de Lesquendieu is a powdery floral fragrance that blends Iris, Lemon and Bergamot essential oils with base notes of Amber and Virginian Cedar.
In 2017, Maison Lesquendieu launched an elegant range of scented candles produced with the finest essential oils. The candles are poured into mouth-blown glass holders etched with an art-deco-inspired design with in a combined matte black and gloss finish. The brand’s candle range comprises the Cuir Orange and Fleur d’Acacia & Bois De Santal scents.
Maison Lesquendieu’s fragrances are bottled in a fine-glass flaçon finished with 24-karat pure gold. The bottles are meticulously crafted by the maison’s master glassmakers. Each flaçon required the work of several skilled artisans, calling back to yet another forgotten luxury in the world of traditional perfumery.
