A Fragrant Journey Through Time

 

From Berlin to Moscow

 

 The journey indeed begins in Berlin, where Albert Krigler was born in 1860. At the time the young chemistry student already leads the first professional position and travels to Imperial Russia, Moscow; where the famous French perfume maker Rallet was just established and where many young Europeans, who are interested in a passion of making fragrances, have been attracted to come there and venture in joy of life. The 19-year-old Albert falls in love with the daughter of one of the French parfumeur and a colleague at the same time. They got engaged in 1879 and Albert passionately created the most beautiful fragrance inspired with love and to celebrate their engagement.

A special gift of his emotional expression, his first perfume, Pleasure Gardenia 79, a blossom explosion of jasmine, mimosa and gardenia dedicated to their love.

The inspiration for this is not just the new relationship status with Charlotte, but the gardenia flowers in the garden around the golden Kinkaku-ji Temples growing in Kyoto. Popular motifs in Japanese lacquer work exhibited in Moscow at that time. Pleasure Gardenia 79 should be an important signature stamp and still is for the fragrance history of the World.

 

Moscow to St Petersburg to Berlin

In 1904 Albert Krigler started on his own, creating magnificent creations, also known as perfumes. He moved with his family to St. Petersburg, and opened a boudoir in which the high society came and had their own personal scents made. At that time it was very popular to have the “Haute Parfum” which was all the rage. The first fragrance he got there sold besides the individual concepts, Pleasure Gardenia 79, still lovingly called “the engagement perfume” in the family. Therefore after, the first men's fragrance and Albert’s tribute to the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum. As he said: “If you smell the noble, woody spicy note, you can visualize it as you walk through the famed rooms of the museum”

The use of the English names for the scents comes; because in Russia at that time everything was very British and everything British was trendy. No wonder; the Tsar himself was with the English royal family related. Another detail can be read from the name: the number denotes the year in which the fragrance was created and thus the testimony to its time . A code that should become and is a signature for Krigler fragrances.

The Russian Imperial Era has ended and St. Petersburg boudoir closed their doors forever. To escape the turmoil of the revolution, the family moved back to Berlin in 1905. Back to its roots where Albert was born.

The Berliner Bourgeoisie became familiar with Krigler’s House and wearing them was considered elitist and chic. Albert was offered an exceptional space in Hotel Viktoria, Unter den Linden to open his new boudoir, not realizing that he invented his concept for success for the future! Hotels are becoming the central location for the Krigler perfumery. The first perfume to be created in Berlin, Schöne Linden 05, named after the famous boulevard or rather avenue. The radiant linden notes still move us today, although somewhat modernized... Time for the elegant ladies strolling along any famous metropolitan avenue.

From Berlin to France 

Albert will travel a lot in the next few years - and according to his diary, discovered new scents, new countries, where he got his inspirations. Aside from many, this one was very special; an ultimate elegance called Eleganter Schwan 06, a scent that describes the gardens of Neuschwanstein Castle. He visited the gardens every time he visited the family on vacation in Bavaria.

Subtle Orchid 10, tells the story of one Cafés near Paris's Rue St. Honoré, where he liked to socialize with friends, and in which the opulent fragrance of the orchids mixes with the ever so sweet Viennoiseries.

Good Fir 11, comes from the fragrant forests of Colorado mountains that he traveled through on a train ride from New York City to San Francisco. A journey that took days at the time!

Parfumeries will soon be established in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and on the Côte D’Azur, the new center of life for the family.

Charlotte, who was from Antibes, felt very homesick and wanted to go back to her home. Albert, who did everything for his love, decided for the family to find a new home for them. The property that Albert acquires there will be where the most fragrances are created. In a few years he opened boutiques in Cannes, Monte Carlo and Paris.

A house in Champagne was made, which Albert jokingly called Chateau Krigler. He immortalized the flowers of the garden in Chateau Krigler 12, later this became an Icon fragrance. Initially there was no success with this creation as it was contrary to the prevailing trend towards the heavy fragrances, despite this very light and flowery scent. Too revolutionary for those days! Later on it was infatuated by Royal Families from all over the world.

A year later Champfleury 132, the male counterpart was created; something spicy and musky. Albert Krigler developed around five fragrances, every year, but he doesn't launch all of them - just as the last number in creation suggests. 132 means it was its second fragrance in 1913.

The French Riviera

When the First World War broke, Albert stayed with the family in France. One of the creations was made despite the war, one that actually documents from this period.

fiance - her in Provence and him in Berlin. He sadly falls in the war. However, the scent of lavender, sandalwood and tonka beans form an invisible bridge between France and Germany. Only later this fragrance becomes one of the signature names in Krigler's fragrance history.

Like many high society Americans, including many authors and writers, they loved spending time in French Riviera. From Cannes beaches to the lavender field in Grasse, this was the spot where magic happened in all sorts of art. For the certain societies this was a new change from coasts of California and or Floridian Riviera. From actors to literary artists, everyone is drawn to Europe. And everyone wears fragrances by Krigler. Albert tells us about new fragrance stories and continues to astonish us with new creations!

This one, he regarded as Monsieur Dada 18, as a homage to 1918, a new artistic and literary movement that after World War I came, and was called Dadaism. It was the anarchic, highly political alternative to established art. The idea came after a visit to the Zurich Cabaret Voltaire, the original site of the Movement - and this is how this unusual combination came about and alternative design in perfume art was created. Today, a great grandson of Albert's, Ben Krigler has a modernized version of Monsieur Dada 18, which he re-created and thus reinterpreted the spirit from back then.

English Promenade 19, a delicate mix of world flowers whispering along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice was the next fragrance. The fresh, lively happy note is especially enchanting for young ladies, mademoiselle fragrance as we call it nowadays.

This next fragrance was commissioned by librettist Giuseppe Adami (Turandot) who wanted a perfume that would take him to his favorite vacation spot in Bordighera, on the Italian-French Riviera. Albert Krigler went in 1920, and spent a summer there with his family, in a particular villa designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera. Given the abundance of Lemon trees growing along the coast were the basic ideas for VILLA BORDIGHERA 20. Ben Krigler had the fragrance retrieved from the archives, modernized it and it is fresh as it was back in the days, sea air combined with citrus freshness.

His new stories also include Sparkling Diamond 22, which was the most expensive fragrance entering the House of Krigler Chronic. Projecting the radiant notes and inspiration from Monte Carlo and its own glamorous world, it smells like you just came from vinotherapy. And it also shines from the inside: with real diamonds in a bottle, today a fine Swarovski crystal. In the Golden Twenties, Albert again created many exclusive and customized perfumes, so-called “bespoke perfumes”. As it is still the case today, 25, 50 or 75 years for the contract between a client and The House is reserved.

Blue Escapade 24 is one like that, in 1924 an English Lord asked for an unusual scent or rather request. He wanted the freshness of the ocean and the mood of his Villa Blue Escapade, which is located in Biarritz on the Atlantic, but however, trapped in a bottle. That was fulfilled, he chose 25 years of exclusivity just for himself and then later for the world.

When the First World War broke, Albert stayed with the family in France. One of the creations was made despite the war, one that actually documents from this period.

fiance - her in Provence and him in Berlin. He sadly falls in the war. However, the scent of lavender, sandalwood and tonka beans form an invisible bridge between France and Germany. Only later this fragrance becomes one of the signature names in Krigler's fragrance history.

Like many high society Americans, including many authors and writers, they loved spending time in French Riviera. From Cannes beaches to the lavender field in Grasse, this was the spot where magic happened in all sorts of art. For the certain societies this was a new change from coasts of California and or Floridian Riviera. From actors to literary artists, everyone is drawn to Europe. And everyone wears fragrances by Krigler. Albert tells us about new fragrance stories and continues to astonish us with new creations!

This one, he regarded as Monsieur Dada 18, as a homage to 1918, a new artistic and literary movement that after World War I came, and was called Dadaism. It was the anarchic, highly political alternative to established art. The idea came after a visit to the Zurich Cabaret Voltaire, the original site of the Movement - and this is how this unusual combination came about and alternative design in perfume art was created. Today, a great grandson of Albert's, Ben Krigler has a modernized version of Monsieur Dada 18, which he re-created and thus reinterpreted the spirit from back then.

English Promenade 19, a delicate mix of world flowers whispering along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice was the next fragrance. The fresh, lively happy note is especially enchanting for young ladies, mademoiselle fragrance as we call it nowadays.

This next fragrance was commissioned by librettist Giuseppe Adami (Turandot) who wanted a perfume that would take him to his favorite vacation spot in Bordighera, on the Italian-French Riviera. Albert Krigler went in 1920, and spent a summer there with his family, in a particular villa designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera. Given the abundance of Lemon trees growing along the coast were the basic ideas for VILLA BORDIGHERA 20. Ben Krigler had the fragrance retrieved from the archives, modernized it and it is fresh as it was back in the days, sea air combined with citrus freshness.

His new stories also include Sparkling Diamond 22, which was the most expensive fragrance entering the House of Krigler Chronic. Projecting the radiant notes and inspiration from Monte Carlo and its own glamorous world, it smells like you just came from vinotherapy. And it also shines from the inside: with real diamonds in a bottle, today a fine Swarovski crystal. In the Golden Twenties, Albert again created many exclusive and customized perfumes, so-called “bespoke perfumes”. As it is still the case today, 25, 50 or 75 years for the contract between a client and The House is reserved.

Blue Escapade 24 is one like that, in 1924 an English Lord asked for an unusual scent or rather request. He wanted the freshness of the ocean and the mood of his Villa Blue Escapade, which is located in Biarritz on the Atlantic, but however, trapped in a bottle. That was fulfilled, he chose 25 years of exclusivity just for himself and then later for the world.

 

New York for Love

In the 1930s, the perfume house went out across the Atlantic for the most beautiful reason in the world: Albert Krigler's granddaughter fell in love with an American. She marries and lives in Upstate New York, with her husband.

Her love for Provence is expressed in her fragrance Juicy Jasmine 30 that immortalized emotions and longingness for it. But whenever she goes to Manhattan, she surely gives a visit to their favorite hotel, The Plaza. There, she finally comes to talks with the manager. And she convinced him that the hotel needs a fragrance boudoir à la Krigler. So she opened the first Krigler Boutique in 1931, the first shop in the USA - in a hotel, like Albert did in Berlin. Krigler is known as the perfumer in The Plaza, a sure step towards the Cult status.

The first American fragrance is America One 31. And one of the first to wear it is one of the most important American writers. However, it is only later that it is really known as the 'scent of Presidents'. Nomen est omen. Lieber Gustav 14 is also rediscovered in the 1930s - by an acquaintance of Albert, who is still known as one of the German film Icons. She loved to wear it - and thus it becomes the first unisex - fragrance. And so the perfume House of Krigler was the topic amongst her friends worldwide.

In the 1940s, Krigler continued to expand in the US market. While Albert made a declaration of love to San Remo with Dolce Tuberose 43; his granddaughter made in the United States the Manhattan Rose 44. A very natural mixture of roses from the old and the new home as a symbol of French-American friendship. And the fragrance with which she continues to cultivate Krigler's storytelling.

In the 1950s, a young actress visited the Krigler Store in the Plaza and immediately fell in love with Chateau Krigler 12. Afterwards, the journalist will ask her to which she attributes her success. “To my lucky charm Chateau Krigler ”, she answered. Then all the major magazines featured the perfume house - Krigler on the It-list!

Albert, now in his nineties, is traveling again and goes to the Philippines. He was interested in a terrain on which the high quality patchouli plants grown and under special protection should be provided.

His homage to the wonderful perfume and this trip is Lovely Patchouli 55. It should be the last one; a scent that his daughter completes after his death.

It became one of the greatest Krigler's iconic creations! After that, another signature engagement scent was created. A very famous billionaire at that time proposed to a certain, also very famous, lady inside The Plaza.

Even after sixty years this iconic fragrance lost none of its fascination - especially when the film was made about her and came to the cinemas. The scent was in such demand, there was a waiting list for the parfum for a long period of time. The atelier in France was so overwhelmed, they had to work nights to fulfill the orders.

From then on, Albert's daughter Lea mainly focuses on Bespoke Perfumes and does business merely in the United States, however always in the focus with the best formulations, with the right spirit and the highest quality.

London, The Middle-East and Paris

In the 1960s, her daughter started to step up Albert's footsteps. Her approach as a trained “nose”: fragrances that capture the moment like on a postcard motif. She goes with her husband to the place where life pulsates: London, Notting Hill. Established Cognac 66 becomes the first perfume from her own heart instantly. The Family Affairs continues.... Based on the scent of old pubs; she was particularly fond of one bar where the whole interior was made of wood that was a must at the time and with it a mix of cognac and wood became a scent.

Mrs. Krigler was keen to experiment and was always looking for something new. A trip through India leads to the Nepalese border, where she was fascinated by the lush cedar forests - an impression they made! Cozy Cedarwood 72 was and still is one unique, woody creation capturing that voyage.

Then she was invited to Jordan, to create a fragrance for a member of Royal Family - Oud for Highness 75. This was the first oud scent made by a western perfumer.

This sets new standards, also by having a strong, one alongside, Oud Saffron notes integrated in it. An entire collection will follow 30 years later even after the West discovers Oud for itself.

Freigeist or rather free spirited Mrs. Krigler eventually goes to Paris to create more unique fragrances. This is how Emeraude Noire 77 was created after a ring, and not just any ring, disappeared. It was the family heirloom from the Imperial Russian era; stolen in the Paris Metro. The ring was mysteriously called the black emerald, and it was never found. What remains is this warm, dark, and very Parisian scent.

In the 1980s she concentrated exclusively on bespoke perfumes and focused the business on a few main locations. A consolidation phase in which the Perfume House Krigler reflected on its values.

Return to the Near Future and Present

In 2005, Albert’s great-grandson Ben, the fifth generation, took over the family business. A hundred years after the company opened the boudoir in Berlin, the university graduated architect becomes the master builder of the new Krigler and reopens the boutique in The Plaza, New York. His plan: preserve values! Cultivate! Heritage! Subtle, however, he went new ways without compromise. Always staying playful.

By skillfully quoting the concepts of the past and the spirit revival in a modern way, once Albert’s revolutionary idea to offer fragrances or samples for testing by a catalog and mail order; Ben’s modern interpretation was the creation of the website which House of Krigler became one of the first luxury perfumers that was open to the digital world.

The same applied to the new fragrances: Preserve and renew - but always 100 Percent Krigler.

Like Ben’s first fragrance, still in collaboration with his mother; he created the wonderful Extraordinaire Camelia 209. Ah camellia... Albert’s favorite flower, the fragrance that is modern and cleanly composed. And like many of Krigler’s admirers, this one became a favorite amongst the younger generations of two Royal Courts in Europe. The tradition continues.

Another example, Jazzy Riviera 210 does not just celebrate the 100th Birthday of the studio in Antibes - it is reminiscent of the Jazz Era, fresh and exuberant like the mood at that time. Splendid Gold 211 surprises with an extraordinary interpretation of that precious metal; creamy, sweet and fruity. For the 100th birthday of Chateau Krigler 12, the House launches Ultra Chateau Krigler 212, a new version, fresh and carefree, perfect for a summery country outing. In the same year the line extension to “Oud for Highness 75” started.

The exclusive oriental fragrance is now also in the west: Oud Azur 75212, interpreted with white tea and a hint of musk, quasi as a lighter Mediterranean version of it. Oud Sumptuous 75213 goes more towards the direction of a fresh notes with labdanum and lavender, however a little touch of the spirit of Marrakesh. Ultimate K'Oud 752014 emerges after a business trip that Ben did to Texas. The change of mountains and forests, the climatic differences between hot and cool, the rough and smoky… all that fascinated him.

A trip through Brazil in 2013 and the places where amber is mined, Ben got inspired and created the sensual and very deep Topaze Imperiale 213.

A year later, he created a new fragrance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of “Lieber Gustav 14” the Lieber Moment 214, a delicate floral counterpart. And with Sierra Vista 2142 the perfumer gives himself a gift: a fragrance that always gives him I FEEL GOOD feeling every time he wears it.

The family tradition continues, with trips or rather the voyage, Ben goes and discovers more wonders and scents of the world. That is where memories begin. Like Albert in his Berlin days, Ben relies on exclusive hotels as a point of sale. Unlike his great-great-grandfather, he concentrates on it. The store in New York’s Plaza reopened in 2008.

The next opening at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills will be accompanied by Charming California 215. A perfume with the unique fragrance of the Jacaranda trees, which enchant all of Los Angeles with their flowers twice a year. Floral and healthy, totally Cali.

You can find Krigler again in the famous and iconic Hotel Adlon in Berlin, Germany; located only two blocks away from the first Boudoir at the corner of Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden. In 2015, to celebrate the reopening of the store in Berlin; Kabarett Krigler 216 a tribute to the glorious days from the 1920s was created. In 2017, Bouquet Baroque 217 was created, a perfume that his mother started 20 years ago and has completed. The opulent still lives of flowers from the Baroque period, inspired by the painter Bruegel.

Krigler perfumes are so distinctive by the time and the story behind each fragrance. The house’s quality standards are all about that. From the development to the availability in store, can sometimes take decades. After maceration, the ingredients have to rest in a cellar.

After the mixture is set, they can ripen again. Like a good wine. Eau de Parfum takes around a year and a half, two years for the perfume and three and a half years for the extract until it is ready and meets the high demands. All fragrances are made in a limited quantity each year, none over one thousand, so it does make them limited, and worth of wait.

The next stop on this journey is the Floridian Riviera, and to be more exact, Palm Beach. Here, on the wild east coast of Florida, the fragrance history of the house is continuing! With the new boudoir in the luxurious Four Seasons Resort and with the new perfume Palm Dream 219, Ben Krigler is reminiscent of the place where the family often spent the holidays in the 1950s. And to the legendary Palm Beach Resort, which was a glamorous focal point for the top ten thousand in the 1920s.

Coming back to Austrian roots, where Albert’s brother opened a store in 1909. The House reopened in Vienna, Austria its largest boutique worldwide in The Palais Hansen Kempinski on the famous Ringstrasse. Like each boutique, an atelier or workshop is on the site giving the ability to Krigler to be the only Parfumeur to create fragrances, scented candles and the entire collection on the site.

From Vienna, back to the US, Krigler opened in Chicago (just like Albert’s trip a 110 years ago). Opening a jewel box decorated boutique. Mixing the classic Krigler style with black, gold and many mirrors. Krigler is in the iconic Peninsula Hotel. As always designed by Ben, who is not only a Parfumeur but also a trained architect.

Opening a boutique in the city of San Francisco at the iconic Ritz-Carlton San Francisco located in the Nob Hill district. The city that Albert Krigler visited for the first time in 1911.

In Houston, is open our first store in the Texan state at the exquisite Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Located in the main lobby, the store represents our expansion in the South region and in the booming state. Houston is an inspiring city with culture, space discovery, history and culinary delights.

The house of Krigler is in the German port of Hamburg, gates to the world from the Hanseatic city. The hotel Fairmont Vier Jahreszeiten is the most exclusive hotel of the city. Over 104 years separate since our first opening in the city and close to the beautiful village of Blankenese that inspired a scent back in the 1900s.

Following the openings and launches of our latest fragrances, many more projects are ahead for the House. From fragrances to scented candles, from soap to new creations. The future ahead is full of new projects. Combining tradition and modernity, the house is looking ahead!