Photo Frédéric Malle Boutique 94 Greenwich Avenue

Joining his passions of architecture and fragrance, perfume publisher Frédéric Malle is now beginning to showcase the work of top architects in the same way he showcases perfumers via a new series of standalone Editions de Parfums stores. For each new store, Frédéric will identify an architect with an innate understanding of the space and region. Chosen architects are then given complete control over the store design (except for the inclusion of three trademarks of every freestanding Frédéric Malle store: portraits of the perfumers whose works of art Frédéric has published, refrigerated cabinet for storing the fragrances and the smelling chambers for testing the fragrances). Unlike most design ventures, the architect is given carte blanche to design the space of their dreams—just as Frédéric does with the perfumers he works with.

On his collaboration process with the architects, Malle says: “My plan to open more free-standing stores around the world allows me to live my childhood dream: ‘publishing’ the work of great architects in the form of Editions de Parfums stores. I will have the same sort of creative relations with architects that I have with perfumers. I will ask them to design their dream shop with no compromise, nor limitation, although this time there will be a budget.”

The newest Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle store captures the West Village vibe with astounding architectural features: a semicircle shape carries throughout the space and the private back garden, reserved for small gatherings. Holl used aluminum foam, a material produced in Canada that has never been used in the United States before, throughout the interior of the store. The silver, textured foam covers the walls and ceiling contrasted by dark walnut shelving and furniture. The contrast continues between the blue carpeting and iconic red-orange fragrance packaging. Hervé Descottes created an indirect lighting system for the store that changes intensity throughout the day, playing off the natural sunlight.

This new series of stores launched June 6, 2014 (planned to coincide with the date of the 14th Anniversary of his first shop at 37 Rue de Grenelle Paris)  and is located at 94 Greenwich Avenue in New York’s West Village. It is M. Malle's second New York store, designed by Steven Holl, and is open to the public.

Time to stop and smell the magnolias…the new Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Eau de Magnolia in collaboration with Carlos Benaim  is available.

Location:
94 Greenwich Avenue (between West 12th Street & Jane Street)
New York, NY 10011
TEL: + 1 646 666 0330

-Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

-via Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle P.R.