Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 1165 Madison Avenue exterior
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle is renowned for its unique approach to perfumery and its collaborations with some of the world’s most talented perfumers (Dominique Ropion, Jean-Claude Ellena, Olivia Giacobetti, Maurice Roucel, Carlos Benaïm, to name a few). The new Flagship Store, situated on New York’s prestigious Madison Avenue, bestows a luxurious shopping experience where customers can discover a diverse range of fragrances. The boutique’s elegant design and knowledgeable staff deliver an inviting atmosphere, allowing customers to encounter and appreciate the art of perfumery.
“When I came up with the term ‘Editeur de Parfums,’ I was determined to liberate perfumers from the kinds of restraints often imposed by marketers and focus groups. I give these ‘fragrance authors’ complete freedom to explore and express their ideas. Each perfumer is free to use the most innovative technologies and the rarest raw materials the industry offers. This freedom drives the artist to construct a scent without conventional boundaries and to refine his or her idea and formula to the most precise detail. When it is achieved, I publish it at Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle.” Frédéric Malle
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 1165 Madison Avenue interior
In late 2009, Madison Avenue’s fragrance transformation began with Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Diptyque, and Creed opening within a couple of months of each other, joining Jo Malone and Bond No. 9 New York. Things were smelling sweeter uptown. The Frederic Malle Madison Avenue boutique arrived ten years after Malle unveiled the first boutique in Paris. The 900-square-foot location was designed as a comfortable living space, reminiscent of a stately apartment or home with a warm heritage atmosphere. It was in contrast to the sleek and medicinal aesthetics of many of the other modern perfumeries. The boutique featured three of Malle’s trademark smelling columns, in which consumers can test scents from the brand’s fragrances in an enclosure the size of a phone booth. By 2024, its antique furniture and 1930s French art, faux fireplace (shipped from Paris), curtains, and wall-to-wall brown, geometric-printed carpeting had developed an old fashioned vibe. It was time for a redo.
Over the years, I spent many hours visiting the original boutique to discover new scents or at events. So, it was a bolt out of the blue when informed of the move. I have to admit the boutique became that comfortable sweater you can’t toss, but you know that it’s time to, and purchase a new replacement. What’s the difference? The former had Frederic Malle’s traditional appearance, while the new location has Estée Lauder’s modern slant.
“Fragrance is about comfort, so it was important to have decor that conveys this idea.” Frédéric Malle
Estee Lauder closed the original location on 72nd Street in January 2025, and moved Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle fourteen blocks north to Madison Avenue and 85th Street. The flagship store re-opened six months later, on May 26th, 2025. The new 550-square-foot store, located on the ground floor of a luxury residential building, was designed in-house by Estée Lauder’s creative team. And not to worry, Frédéric Malle’s signature red and “scenting chambers” are present, front and center. The store plays into the brand’s larger strategy to foster engagement with its core consumer base through experiential eventing and to deepen consumers’ knowledge of the brand’s core products.
(New fragrant neighbors include D.S. & Durga, Aesop, Le Labo (Estee Lauder), Fueguia 1833, and Coty Infiniment Paris).
I had the pleasure of speaking with Store Director Blerta Gocaj to gather some insight into what has transpired in this short time.
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 1165 Madison Avenue interior
Hernando Courtright: How was the location decided upon?
Store Director Blerta Gocaj: “With Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle as a brand being so entrenched in the art world, it only seemed fitting to move to a neighborhood that sits at this intersection of art, culture, and fashion. We have the Met, the Guggenheim, and the Frick within a short walking distance, and we feel at home at the center of all this in the new neighborhood.
In the short time you’ve been at the new location, are you finding the customer clientele different from what you had at the previous address?
Blerta Gocaj: “We have been fortunate to have some of our most valuable and long-standing friends and clientele visit as they rediscover us at our new location. We have consistently kept in touch, and each day brings familiar faces back into the store.
We have also had the fortune of being amid a more dynamic clientele that has brought new clients in who are both familiar and unfamiliar with the brand. Being on 72nd and Madison for 18 years meant that we had become the corner shop where everyone felt comfortable popping in, saying hi, stopping in for a chat, and/or coffee, and we are hoping to mirror that same atmosphere and put down our roots yet again at this new location. We look forward to having these new clients become tomorrow’s friendly neighbor who feels welcome to come on in.”
Breakdown (approx.) of scents, candles, and ancillary products?
Blerta Gocaj: We have kept a pretty good consistency in terms of home and body. We have some SKUs that are undergoing repackaging, but we have continued to see the steady admiration of both our home and body collections. Jurassic Flower has continued to be our #1 SKU in home, and mostly is in part due to it being showcased at our neighboring Mark Hotel.
Are the choices of perfumes purchased different? Anything surprise you?
Blerta Gocaj: We have seen a pretty consistent sell-through between both stores. Portrait of a Lady (Dominique Ropion), of course, continues to be our #1 across the board, but we do see a great growth in some of our more unique SKUs like Angeliques Sous la Pluie (Jean-Claude Ellena) and Music For a While (Carlos Benaim).
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 1165 Madison Avenue’s Perfume Curator Gilda Perez-Atlan and Store Director, Blerta Gocaj by Hernando©
At present, there is a team of three in place, two perfume curators: Gilda Perez-Atlan and Giuliana Abaton, and one Store director: Blerta Gocaj.
Congratulations on the new location, and a big thank you to all at Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Madison Avenue Store for your hospitality.
~Hernando Courtright, Senior Events Contributor and Brand Ambassador
Editor’s note: Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle was founded by Frédéric Malle in 2000 and acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies in 2015. He left his eponymous fragrance brand in June of 2024.
Unless otherwise stated, all photos are courtesy of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle.
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Flagship Store
Address: 1165 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Phone: (212) 249-7941
Website: https://www.fredericmalle.com/
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11-7 PM, Sunday 11-6 pm
THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION Coffret | Frederic Malle
Thanks to the generosity of the team at Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 1165 Madison Avenue, we have The Men’s Essential Collection Coffret which includes 5 x 7 ml: Bigarade Concentrée (Jean-Claude Ellena), French Lover (Pierre Bourdon), Geranium pour Monsieur (Dominque Ropion), Musc Ravageur (Maurice Roucel) and Vetiver Extraordinaire (Dominque Ropion) for a registered US reader.
Or
The Women’s Essential Collection Coffret which includes 5 x7 ml: Carnal Flower (Dominique Ropion), Eau de Magnolia (Carlos Benaim), En Passant (Olivia Giacobetti), Musc Ravageur (Maurice Roucel) and Portrait of a Lady( Dominique Ropion) for a registered US reader.
Each are valued at $190
To be eligible, you must be a registered reader. Please leave a comment on what you enjoyed about Hernando’s visit to the new Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle flagship at 1165 Madison Avenue and if you want the men’s or women’s Coffret. Do you have a favorite Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle? There is only one winner. Draw closes 8/09/2025
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