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Vilhelm Parfumerie

Niche brand · New York City, United States

New in assortment

Vilhelm Parfumerie

Q: Which perfumers work with Vilhelm Parfumerie?

The brand names [Jérôme Épinette](/perfumer/jerome-epinette), [Bertrand Duchaufour](/perfumer/bertrand-duchaufour) and Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. Épinette has worked with Vilhelm since the first fragrances and also created the Triptych collection. Duchaufour composed scents such as [Sparkling Jo](/perfume/vilhelm-parfumerie-sparkling-jo) and [To My Father](/perfume/vilhelm-parfumerie-to-my-father).

Founded in New York in 2015 and made in France, Vilhelm Parfumerie turns personal stories, places and eras into bold, expressive scents.

New York City, United States · founded 2015

All fragrances

Founded: 2015
Origin: New York
Founder: Jan Ahlgren
Production: Created and bottled in France
Bottle: Designed by Pierre Dinand
Boutique: Paris, since 2021
At Parfinity: 21 fragrances to sample

The story

Vilhelm Parfumerie began in New York in 2015. Founder Jan Ahlgren, a Swedish former model and handbag designer, first wanted to scent his leather bags, the way Parisian glove makers once perfumed their gloves. Working with perfumer Jérôme Épinette, the idea grew into a fragrance line named after his grandfather.

Since 2018 the brand has belonged to the Swiss Creative Perfume Company and is run from Paris. The scents are created in France with perfumers including Bertrand Duchaufour. Many names carry a personal story: Dear Polly is dedicated to Ahlgren's wife, Morning Chess to the family patriarch.

01 · New York, 2015

From scented leather to a fragrance line

Jan Ahlgren was born in Sweden to an American mother and a Swedish father. After several years in the Paris fashion world he settled in New York and designed leather handbags. The idea of scenting them came from the glove makers of 17th and 18th century Paris.

To make it real he worked with Jérôme Épinette of Robertet. The first six fragrances appeared in 2015, initially at Barneys in New York. The brand name recalls Ahlgren's grandfather, and many scent names are personal too: Dear Polly is for his wife, Morning Chess for the family patriarch.

02 · Made in France

From Grasse to the bottle

Despite the Swedish name and New York roots, the fragrances are created in France with perfumers such as Jérôme Épinette, Bertrand Duchaufour and Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. Each works with a fragrance manufacturer that oversees sourcing, harvesting and extraction of the raw materials up to the finished concentrate. Two of these houses, Robertet and Technicoflor, have their roots in Grasse.

The concentrate then macerates with alcohol for about three weeks at a second site in central France. After that, juice, glass, pump, cap and packaging are brought together.

03 · Bottle

One bottle, many stories

Every scent in the collection sits in the same heavy bottle designed by Pierre Dinand. Its saffron yellow label goes back to a piece of Bakelite found at a Paris flea market.

Because the bottles look alike, the name and story of each fragrance take centre stage. The brand describes its scents as moments to step into, somewhere between vintage and new.

04 · Paris

A boutique like a jeweller's

In 2018 the Swiss Creative Perfume Company acquired the brand, with Ahlgren initially staying on as creative director. In 2021 Vilhelm opened its first boutique on rue Pierre Charron in the Paris Golden Triangle.

Wall panels in saffron yellow vegan leather, 1920s-style display cabinets and a chandelier made from 756 salvaged perfume bottles define the space. The design picks up the brand's colour codes and blends Art Deco with Bauhaus lines.

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Discover Vilhelm Parfumerie at home

Choose five Vilhelm Parfumerie fragrances as 2 ml samples for your Parfinity Box. You get the box value back as a discount code - applied in full from a €150 cart.

Your individual Parfinity Box

Choose any 5 fragrances
Wear every fragrance more than once
50 € discount code back, in full from 150 €

Choose Vilhelm Parfumerie fragrances

BoozyWoody

Peaty whisky and oak

Sample unavailable

€17550ml

The noses

Perfumers of Vilhelm Parfumerie

Jérôme Epinette

Jérôme Epinette began his fragrance journey in the wine regions of Burgundy, where his early exposure to complex aromas shaped his olfactory sensibilities.

Discover more about Jérôme Epinette

Bertrand Duchaufour

Bertrand Duchaufour stands as one of the most influential and prolific perfumers in contemporary niche fragrance creation.

Discover more about Bertrand Duchaufour

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Vilhelm Parfumerie an American or a French brand?

Both are part of the story. The brand was founded in New York in 2015 and carries a Swedish name. The fragrances are created and bottled in France, and since the 2018 acquisition the brand has been run from Paris.

Which perfumers work with Vilhelm Parfumerie?

The brand names Jérôme Épinette, Bertrand Duchaufour and Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. Épinette has worked with Vilhelm since the first fragrances and also created the Triptych collection. Duchaufour composed scents such as Sparkling Jo and To My Father.

Where does the name Vilhelm come from?

The brand is named after founder Jan Ahlgren's grandfather. Vilhelm is also Ahlgren's middle name.

Wear First. Love Forever.

Which story will you wear on your skin?

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