Perfume Museum Set to Open in Paris
WWD - Perfume is nothing to sniff at, especially in France, a hotbed of fragrance creation. Cue Le Grand Musée du Parfum, a new museum slated to open later this year at 73 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.
It is to be located in the sprawling four-story, 15,555-square-foot mansion that most recently was home to Christian Lacroix Couture’s headquarters and flagship, across from Le Bristol Paris hotel. In the 19th century, the building served as the residence of Baron Antoine-Marie Roederer.
The new museum’s contents will be organized in order to trace three major phases in the history of fragrance, between the time of the pharaohs of Egypt through until today. There’s also an interactive element, as visitors are able to discover an olfactive collection made up of more than 60 scents.
The aim of the museum is to share with the public France’s savoir-faire in the realm of fragrance, the creative process surrounding it, and perfumers’ artistic and scientific approaches to its conception.
Le Grand Musée du Parfum is backed by the Ile-de-France region and under the sponsorship of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. It is slated to open in December and include a bookstore and a concept store.