Stepping into the Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums boutique, you might think that you’ve mistakenly opened the door to a Madison Avenue living room or an upscale art gallery, rather than a retail venue. The carpeted space is punctuated by a French Art Deco desk and armchairs, wood carvings from Africa, a drawing by Picasso, contemporary landscape paintings, and a framed photograph of the writer Charles Baudelaire. Sage-green velvet drapes soften the corners of the room, and folding wooden panels screen off the view and the noise of the street beyond the windows.
After a moment, however, you’ll notice all the signature elements of the Editions de Parfums style. Instead of bookcases filled with first editions, there are shelves of richly scented products arranged by “title.” The wall above the fireplace is hung with photographs of the fragrances’ perfumers, and a sleek, refrigerated cabinet stores and displays the eighteen fragrances in the Editions de Parfums collection…
