Creed: the Millésime as a signature
A London house from 1760, Parisian since 1854
James Henry Creed opened a tailoring house in London in 1760 and had King George III wear scented leather gloves. The house moved to Paris in 1854, under the Second Empire, and dressed Empress Eugénie: at the time, perfumery was still only one part of the business of a tailor renowned for his riding attire. In the 1970s, Olivier Creed refocused the family business on fragrance. Seven generations have passed the house down; the official website traces this heritage.
The house's signature scents
The Creed pantheon brings together Aventus, a fruity woody scent of pineapple, birch and blackcurrant that has become the house's ultimate benchmark; Green Irish Tweed, an aromatic of mint, violet and sandalwood; Silver Mountain Water, a citrus scent of tea and blackcurrant on a musky base; Royal Oud, a woody blend of oud, cardamom and guaiac wood; Virgin Island Water, a citrus floral of jasmine and tonka bean; and Carmina, an amber floral of rose, saffron and myrrh.
The art of the Millésime: maceration by hand
Creed composes its Millésime perfumes from essential oils that are weighed, blended and macerated by hand in a manufacture near Fontainebleau. The formula stays the same from one year to the next, but each harvest gives a slightly different signature, like a wine. Here you will find bergamot from Calabria, iris Pallida, whose root requires up to six years of preparation, as well as vetiver and rose.
Who should wear Creed, and when?
The house creates as many masculine fragrances as feminine ones, along with a few unisex scents such as Wild Vetiver. Citrus and aromatic scents suit spring and summer beautifully; woody and amber scents come into their own in autumn and winter. If you love this classic style, also explore Parfums de Marly, Houbigant Paris and Lalique, three other historic signatures at Soleil d'Or.
Choosing your Creed perfume
Hesitating between Aventus and Green Irish Tweed is perfectly natural: one is fruity and sunny, the other green and fresh. Our made-to-measure discovery box lets you put together 5 samples of 2 ml, prepared by hand from the official fragrances, and compare them at home before choosing a bottle. To decide more quickly, our boutique at 22 rue de la Clef in Lille offers skin testing, guided by our team.
Creed at Soleil d'Or, a Lille perfumery since 1953
Founded in 1953 by Jeanne Muyllaert on the Grand'Place in Lille, Soleil d'Or is an independent perfumery handed down from generation to generation. Hubert Maës (third generation) made it a benchmark in niche perfumery; today, his daughters Victorine and Apolline Maës (fourth generation) carry on this exacting standard at 22 rue de la Clef, Lille (59800).
Delivery & free in-store collection in Lille
In mainland France, Colissimo delivery is free from €49 to a pick-up point and from €59 to your home. In Europe, it is free from €99 to a pick-up point and €149 to your home, depending on the destination; we also ship internationally. Live in Lille or the surrounding area? Free in-store collection at 22 rue de la Clef is the quickest and most economical option. Full details on our shipping page.