In Pursuit of Excellence
Queen Elizabeth II honored Clive Christian in 2012 with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for his contribution to the luxury goods industry. Luxury, timelessness and beauty are the qualities best associated with Clive Christian’s designs and products. He began with cabinetry for kitchens in the 1970s and expanded to fitted cabinetry for the entire home. Along the way, he added finely crafted items (china, cutlery, fabric, handbags, lighting, scarves, wallpaper and perfume) to fill these cabinets and adorn the rooms.
The Crown Perfumery Company found its way into Christian’s life in a most unexpected way during renovations of his Victorian home some thirty years ago. His four year old daughter, Victoria, glimpsed an Invigorating Lavender Salts bottle hidden beneath the floorboards in the Master bedroom. For many years thereafter, the green glass bottle with its crown stopper was placed in plain view on the mantle. Fast forward to 1998 when Christian noticed a going out of business sign in a Burlington Arcade perfumery boutique. The crown stoppered bottles in the windows were immediately recognized as the bottle on his mantle. Inquiries were made, the company purchased and a new era was begun.
The bottle a young Victoria found under the floor boards
In 1999, Clive Christian Perfume Ltd. brought forth The Original Collection of three pure perfumes which came in complimentary versions for men and women – so complimentary that when the men’s and women’s version of each perfume are adjacent, they create a third sumptuous scent. As with all of his designs, Christian gave the perfumers carte blanche to create the very best and most luxurious perfumes using only natural ingredients. Cost was not discussed. Roja Dove was commissioned to create No1, a complex, sophisticated perfume which is recognized as The World’s Most Expensive Perfume by the Guinness Book of World Records. X is a mysterious oriental perfume and 1872 is a refined floral inspired by Crab Apple Blossoms.
No1 for Men
These pure perfumes were placed in English lead crystal bottles designed by Christian. They have a solid hand-cut crystal crown stopper and a 24K gold plated sterling silver collar. The No1 bottle has a one carat brilliant cut white diamond on the collar. The diamond is on the front of the bottle for No1 Women and on the reverse for No1 Men. Victoria Christian explained that a diamond is the perfect accessory for No1 pure perfume because both are natural, rare, precious and exclusive.
C for Men in its presentation box
Spray bottles with 50ml of Eau de Parfum were introduced a few years later. No1 in 2003; X and 1872 in 2004. A second collection of perfumes, The Private Collection, was introduced and includes C (Clive), 2010; V (Victoria), 2012 and L (Love), 2014.
The Travellers set has three 1/3 ounce bottles of either The Original Collection or The Private Collection. The set was first introduced in 2004.
The Traveller’s Set with The Original Collection
No1 Imperial Majesty is a majestic Baccarat crystal bottle with 500 ml of the purest, most expensive perfume in the world, with a sparkling 5 carat white diamond and 18 K gold collar. The ebony box is lined with red velvet and has the Clive Christian crest embroidered with gold and platinum threads. Only ten bottles were created – of which seven have been sold and three are held by the company.
Victoria Christian initiated The Sound of Perfume, a sensory experience of the invisible art of perfume. Inspired by the rosewood Steinway piano, which is approximately the same age as The Crown Perfumery Company and which graces the family home, a scent symphony competition was held. Composition students at The Royal College of Music interpreted the perfumes No1, X and 1872 for the piano. The contest culminated on February 4th, 2009 with Ikuyo Kobayashi’s interpretation of No1, Stay Gold, winning the grand prize. The finalist for X was Transcendent, by Vlad Maistorovici and for 1872, The Last Rose of 1872, by Erick Flores.
Clive Christian Perfume periodically produces Limited Edition collections of extra concentrated Eau de Parfum. The Artwork series is a visual imagery inside the invisible world of perfume. The Artwork series had 1,000 pieces each for men and women, except for No1 Artwork which was only available in the No1 for Women Eau de Parfum.
The first bottle in the series is No1 Artwork, 2005. This bottle had Christian’s original sketch for the pure perfume’s crystal bottle. The X Artwork bottles were introduced in 2007 with a stylized Egyptian Jasmine flower on the women’s bottle and the “Sceptre of Kings” design on the men’s bottle. For the 1872 Artwork bottles of 2008, Christian chose to highlight an ingredient from each perfume. For women it was Rose de Mai, a flower so rare that 170 roses are required for a single drop. A Roman Eagle was the design for the men’s perfume, referencing clary sage, which was a sacred herb for the ancient Romans.
Front: No1 for Women. Second Row: 1872 for Women; Men. Third Row: X for Women; Men
The No1 His and Hers Gift Set was introduced in 2011, the year of The Royal Wedding. British Royalty and Hollywood “Royalty” were the inspiration for this gift set. For their marriage, Prince William and Catherine Middleton were presented with a stunning presentation of a pair of No1 for Men and No1 for Women crystal bottles. Katie Holmes wore No1 for Women when she married Tom Cruise. This was a Limited Edition of 500 sets, holding two round 30ml spray bottles in gold. Only 500 sets were created.
The No1 Imperial bottles are in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebration. The No1 Imperial Coronation spray bottle has a royal purple ribbon across its front. The No1 Imperial Jubilee spray bottle was introduced in 2012. The ribbon across the front of the bottle represents the red ribbon on the O.B.E. medal Clive Christian was honored with earlier that year. In 2015, the No1 Imperial spray bottle was created with the gold lattice work design of the Passant Guardant crystal bottle. Only 250 bottles for men and 250 bottles for women were created for each Limited Edition.
Clive Christians’ enormous talents also benefit individuals desiring bespoke perfume, placed in either the iconic crystal bottle with one’s monogram outlined in diamonds or with a unique bottle designed by Christian.
A gala evening was held on June 23rd, 2014 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the creation of No1, The World’s Most Expensive Perfume. A perfume without equal. This Limited Edition classic spray bottle was adorned in white lacquer with the original design of the crystal bottle and a large medallion with “15.” Four hundred bottles for men and 400 bottles for women were created.
The 15th Anniversary Gift Set
And then there are the Special Commissions — memorable presentation pieces that are truly opulent.
The Queen’s Tiara. A faceted, cut crystal tiara designed by Christian and presented to Queen Elizabeth II for her Golden Jubilee in 2002. No1 for Women is sheltered beneath the center “diamond” of the tiara.
Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara bottles were part of the silent auction to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation at the 2004 White Tie and Tiara Ball. The crystal bottle of No1 for Men is decorated with pearls, sapphires and a diamond. No1 for Women is decorated with pearls, rubies, a diamond and feathers.
A unique presentation for a unique royal couple was Roja Dove’s request of Christian for a wedding gift in 2011 to Prince William and Catherine Middleton, “our future King and Queen.” The two crystal bottles of No1 have initials etched in solid gold, presented in an ebony box with Prince William’s royal coat of arms hand embroidered in vibrant colors, with gold and platinum threads.
Eleven perfume companies were invited to create special boutiques for Harrods’ elite Salon de Parfums. For the 2014 opening of his perfume boutique, Clive Christian designed Passant Guardant, the extravagant and extremely beautiful bottle of heavy 18k gold lattice work, with over 2,000 diamonds.
Clive Christian Boutique, Harrods’ Salon de Parfums
These are just a few fine examples of the creative talents of Clive Christian, where his heavy lead crystal bottles, cut crystal stoppers, thick hand embroidery and polished boxes are all cohesive design elements befitting his pure perfumes.
In September 2015, Clive Christian’s company was acquired by EME Investments 5, a consortium of private investors. Clive Christian continues creating luxurious interiors and fragrances as Creative Director.
Two new perfumes were released in 2016. Inspired by the architecture and gardens of Clive’s Queen Anne home, the Noble VII series included Cosmos Flower and Rock Rose.
