Just when we thought the French couldn’t get anymore posh, they open a perfume museum on the 16th of December. Located just around the corner from the Elysée Palace, Le Grand Musée du Parfum is located in a 1,400-square-meter mansion, the previous home to the Christian Lacroix fashion house.
Privately financed by 40 families, costing around seven million euros of investment, the museum is said to be supported by the Syndicat français de la parfumerie (SFP) which represents 66 French perfume houses.
The museum is led by businessman Guillaume de Maussion and members of the board, including former Hermès nose Jean-Claude Ellena, Sylvaine Delacourte, Director of Perfume Development at Guerlain and Patricia de Nicolai, president of the Osmothèque in Versailles.
Le Grand Musée du Parfum is divided into three parts, one which invites visitors to discover the history of perfume, dating back from the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs’ utilization of perfumes till the present day.
In another section, visitors will get to explore the different complexities of fragrances by smelling diverse scents as well as understanding, through a video, how odours have the ability to trigger our emotions.
The last section includes an installation of 25 small spheres that hang from the ceiling, releasing different fragrances, as professional perfume designers offer insight into what often inspires their idea behind the scent of their creation.
