From the Crown Perfumery to Clive Christian
The Crown Perfumery Company was founded in London in 1872 by William Sparks Thomson, who made corsets for Victorian high society before turning to perfume. That same year Queen Victoria authorized the use of her crown on the bottles, and it is the crown you still see on every bottle today. In 1999 the house was bought by Clive Christian, born in Dundee in 1951 and already known for his bespoke kitchens and furniture, who relaunched it under his own name. In 2012 he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the luxury industry. The style is that of classic English haute perfumery, with traditional compositions such as chypres, fougères, florals and ambers, and high concentrations.
The collections in our catalog
Original Collection: No1, 1872 and X
This is the core of the house, always in masculine and feminine pairs. According to the house, No1 owes its name to the fact that no limit was placed on the cost of the raw materials in its composition. The name 1872 recalls the year of the crown: the feminine version is a floral with May rose, orchid and jasmine, while the masculine is a citrus with a chypre structure. With X the house plays on the idea of excess: X Feminine is an exotic, powdery chypre and X Masculine uses essences that ancient civilizations considered aphrodisiac. The feminine and masculine Travellers Sets bring the three fragrances together in 10 ml sizes.
Crown Collection: the archive perfumes
In this collection the house revisits historic Crown Perfumery formulas and reworks them. Town & Country, which the house says was created in 1925 and was linked to Winston Churchill, is a fresh, crisp scent; Matsukita is inspired by a Japanese princess at the Victorian court. There is also a travel set with the three perfumes in 10 ml, with a stated concentration of 25%.
Noble Collection: Rococo and Art Deco
Noble VII is the pair made up of Rock Rose Masculine, a fougère with bergamot, black pepper and neroli, and Cosmos Flower. Noble VIII is inspired by the Rococo, with Immortelle, which pairs honeyed helichrysum with woods and spices, and Magnolia Feminine, with magnolia, cassis, tea rose, tuberose and oakmoss. Finally, Noble XXI, inspired by Art Deco, includes Amberwood, a woody amber with sage, tonka, oud and tobacco, and Blonde Amber, a sweet, smoky amber with blond tobacco and dried fruit.
Private Collection
The house describes it as a collection of memories, arranged by olfactory family, with C Woody Leather, I Woody Floral and V Amber Fougere. The same series includes E Cashmere Musk, the musk, which the house compares to the caress of cashmere.
Iconic, Strange Heavens and Addictive Arts
Iconic Masculine is a woody citrus with grapefruit, yuzu, pink pepper and petitgrain, while Iconic Feminine combines Damask rose, saffron, plum and violet. Strange Heavens Out of the Blue is a gourmand extrait that opens with coffee, moves on to jasmine and orange blossom and ends on cocoa and vanilla caramel. The Addictive Arts collection includes Jump Up and Kiss Me, in Ecstatic and Hedonistic versions, inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream and the pansy.
How to choose a Clive Christian perfume
To get to know the house, you can start with 1872, which the house describes as easy to wear every day. If you love citrus and classic chypres, try 1872 Masculine or Iconic Masculine. For a floral there are Magnolia, Iconic Feminine with its rose, and I Woody Floral. If you prefer amber, woods and tobacco, look at Noble XXI Art Deco, V Amber Fougere and C Woody Leather. For gourmands there is Strange Heavens Out of the Blue, and if you want a sensual, powdery perfume, try X Feminine. The Masculine and Feminine labels describe how the composition is built, not a rule.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Clive Christian?
The house bears the name of Clive Christian, a designer born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1951, who bought the Crown Perfumery Company in 1999 and relaunched it as Clive Christian Perfume. Before that, he had made his name with bespoke kitchens and furniture, a business he started in 1978.
What is Clive Christian No1 perfume?
No1 is the Original Collection pair, in Masculine and Feminine versions, regarded as the signature fragrance of the house. According to the house, the name means that no limit was placed on the cost of the ingredients in the composition, which are chosen from among the rarest raw materials in perfumery.
What does 1872 mean in Clive Christian perfumes?
1872 is the year Queen Victoria granted the Crown Perfumery permission to use her crown on its bottles, the same crown Clive Christian places on every bottle today. The 1872 fragrance in the Original Collection pays tribute to that date: floral in the feminine version, a citrus chypre in the masculine.
What is the difference between 1872, X and No1?
They are the three pairs of the Original Collection, each with its own character. 1872 is classic and refreshing, designed by the house for every day, while X is sensual and warm, with essences considered aphrodisiac. No1, on the other hand, is the signature fragrance of the house, built on some of the most precious natural essential oils.
Can women wear Clive Christian Masculine perfumes?
Yes: the Masculine and Feminine labels describe how the composition is built, not who should wear it. A citrus chypre like 1872 Masculine or a woody scent like Iconic Masculine can look great on a woman, just as Magnolia or I Woody Floral can on a man.
Which Clive Christian perfume should I choose if I love amber and tobacco?
Look at Noble XXI Art Deco: Amberwood, which combines amber, sage, tonka, oud and tobacco, and Blonde Amber, a spicy amber with smoky blond tobacco and dried fruit that, according to the house, lasts until late at night. If you prefer a warm fougère, choose V Amber Fougere from the Private Collection.
Does Clive Christian make travel-size perfumes?
Yes, there are travel sets with 10 ml bottles. The feminine and masculine Travellers Sets from the Original Collection contain 1872, X and No1; the Crown Collection set brings together Town & Country, Matsukita and Crab Apple Blossom.
What is the Clive Christian Jump Up and Kiss Me line?
Jump Up and Kiss Me belongs to the Addictive Arts collection, which the house inspired by the great authors of British literature. This line takes its cue from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the pansy, and comes in two versions, Ecstatic and Hedonistic.
