British extraits at their most unapologetically rich, met a millilitre at a time.
Clive Christian builds at extrait strength with expensive naturals and no interest in restraint. The compositions are dense, polished and slow to unfold, the kind that sit on a scarf for days. The bottles are priced accordingly, which makes a small pour the sensible way to find out whether the house suits you.
- Origin London, England
- Founded 1999
- Known for Extrait strength, Blonde Amber
- Here 1 fragrance
- Founded
- 1999Carries the crown granted to the Crown Perfumery in 1872
- Founders
- William Sparks Thomson and Clive Christian
- Concept
- A Victorian London perfumery relaunched at full strength
01
A Victorian crown, relaunched in 1999
William Sparks Thomson was a London corset maker before he turned to perfume, and in 1872 Queen Victoria allowed his Crown Perfumery Company to set her crown on its bottles. By 1879 it was sending half a million bottles of 49 scents to 47 countries. In 1999 Clive Christian, a Dundee-born designer who had started his furniture company in 1978, bought the Crown Perfumery and relaunched it under his own name. Nichebox has owned the house since 2019.
02
Archive formulas and Art Deco amber
The 1999 Original Collection took its formulas from the Crown Perfumery archives and came in pairs, one for women and one for men: 1872, X and No.1, the men's No.1 built from 222 ingredients. The Private Collection added C, V and L between 2010 and 2014, and the Noble Collection came later. Blonde Amber belongs to Noble's Art Deco chapter: bitter orange, pink pepper and rum, a heart of tuberose, jasmine, osmanthus, dried fruit and saffron, then blonde tobacco over vetiver, incense, labdanum and tonka.
03
The crown on every bottle
Queen Victoria's crown still sits on top of every Clive Christian bottle, modelled on the Victorian flacons. Blonde Amber comes in a 50 ml black and gold bottle at 25 per cent perfume concentration, built from 219 components; its sister, Amberwood, uses 145. The 150th anniversary in 2022 brought two limited editions: Timeless, wrapped in the old Crown Perfumery green, and Contemporary, with ornate silver decoration. The London boutique stands at 118 New Bond Street, a short walk from the registered office on Brook Street.
Who founded Clive Christian?
Clive Christian was founded by William Sparks Thomson and Clive Christian.
Where is Clive Christian based?
Clive Christian is based in London, United Kingdom.
When was Clive Christian founded?
Clive Christian was founded in 1999.
Who composed the Clive Christian fragrances we carry?
Vincent Ricord.