In the 18th-century, a young lad called Juan Famenias Floris arrived in London from Menorca so seek his fortune. He met and married an English sweetheart, Elizabeth, and together they set up a barber shop and comb maker’s – from smart premises in Jermyn Street.
They ran this with aplomb, winning a Royal Warrant along the way, but soon Juan began to miss the fragrances of his Mediterranean youth and so the couple branched into the making and selling of perfume.
Nearly 300 years later, Floris is still churning out scent, soap and sundry luxury accessories to the great and the good. Floris bath oil is to be found in the smartest bathrooms, their scent on the prettiest dressing tables and their soap in the swankiest downstairs loos. With shops in London and retail partnerships across the globe, Floris is a truly international
brand.
They say: ‘The oldest independent family perfumer in the world and the only appointed perfumer to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Floris is the original and authentic fragrance house.’
Here are the reasons we love the heritage perfumer.
ONE
Founded in 1730, Floris is the oldest English retailer of luxury scent.
TWO
Juan’s original shop at 89 Jermyn Street, now a Grade II-listed building, is still the Floris flagship today.
THREE
Floris is still family-owned and run by the eighth and ninth generations. Juan’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson, Edward Bodenham, Floris’s Perfumery Director, had this to say to Gentleman’s Journal: ‘It felt like a natural progression to go into the family business. I grew up visiting my father and grandfather here as a child and remember all these wonderful smells wafting through the building, so there is something very nostalgic working with many of them still. It inspires me and my generation of the family to create what we hope will be future classics to appeal to many generations to come.’
FOUR
Floris prides itself on its long-lasting relationships with its customers, many of which are loyal for a lifetime. Mary Shelley bought her combs and toothbrushes from Floris; Winston Churchill bought their Stephanotis scent; Marilyn Monroe liked their Rose Geranium; and James Bond always wore Floris No. 89. When Florence Nightingale returned from the Crimean War and set up a training school for nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital, she wrote a letter to Mr Floris – that is in the company archive – thanking him for his ‘beautiful sweet-smelling nosegays’.
FIVE
The slicker and more modern the rest of the world gets, the more Floris’s old-school branding and apothecary vibe appeals. Bodenham says: ‘There is something reassuring about wearing fragrances from a perfumery that has stood the test of time for so many years, especially in these ever-changing times when brands often come and go very quickly.’
SIX
Floris’s Royal Warrant record is staggering. The brand won its first Royal Warrant as suppliers of combs to HM King George IV. They are the only perfumer to hold one from her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In the course of the brand’s history, it has held a total of 19 Royal Warrants.
SEVEN
Their Instagram feed – @florislondon – is a beautifully curated showcase of Floris products, inspiration and history.
EIGHT
The mahogany cabinets that are still in the Jermyn Street store today were bought at The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851.
NINE
Floris’s two-hour bespoke fragrance customisation appointment (£550) is an impeccably stylish gift idea for the man or woman who has everything. Prior to the session, the recipient will receive a gift box containing an engraved 100ml bottle, which they bring along to the appointment. Once the fragrance is created, in will be securely archived in the Floris ledgers for the recipient and their descendants to reorder time and again.
TEN
The brand is just as happy innovating in the 21st century as it was in the 18th century. Bodenham says: ‘Our aims are to protect and nurture our brand but push forward with more confidence, more edge, more character and more reflection of our worth. We plan to be the leading perfumer in London to the world.’
By Becky Ladenburg
November 2022
