VILHELM PARFUMERIE

At Vilhelm Parfumerie, fragrance becomes a way of preserving memory. Childhood scenes, journeys, cities, art, and distant periods of history are transformed into individual olfactory narratives. The house moves freely between past and present, New York and Paris, classic glamour and contemporary creativity, giving each composition the feeling of a story rather than a purely decorative scent.

The house was founded by Jan Vilhelm Ahlgren in New York in 2015. Before turning to perfumery, Ahlgren was designing handbags and became fascinated by the old tradition of glove makers scenting leather. He approached perfumer Jérôme Epinette to develop a fragrance for his leather creations, and that initial experiment soon evolved into a much larger creative partnership and ultimately into Vilhelm Parfumerie.

The name Vilhelm comes from Ahlgren’s grandfather, whose personality represented classic style and the elegance of an earlier era. That connection helps explain the house’s fascination with nostalgia and vintage references. Yet Vilhelm rarely recreates the past literally; instead, familiar memories and historical moods are translated through contemporary colors, unexpected contrasts, and a distinctly modern fragrance language.

The olfactory palette is deliberately broad. Florals, fruits, citrus, tea, and green facets can meet woods, leather, musk, spices, resins, and darker accords, allowing the collection to move between brightness, warmth, sensuality, and depth. Vilhelm has worked with perfumers including Jérôme Epinette, Bertrand Duchaufour, and Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, while its fragrances are created and manufactured in France.

The same storytelling instinct is visible in the presentation. The substantial spun-glass bottle was designed by renowned designer Pierre Dinand, while the distinctive saffron-yellow label was inspired by a piece of Bakelite discovered at a Paris flea market. Together, these details capture the character of Vilhelm Parfumerie: vintage charm, bold color, artistic curiosity, and modern niche perfumery brought together in one highly recognizable world.