Exploring the fragrance of success
On May 8, 2025, Guerlain's themed exhibition An Exploration of Fragrance, since 1828 & Beyond opened at Bund One in Shanghai. As a perfume house that has embodied the essence of French elegance for nearly two centuries, Guerlain offers an epic olfactory journey through time and space with immersive light and shadow spaces, a rare raw materials archive, and innovative interactive installations. This exhibition is the largest perfume-themed exhibition in Guerlain's history, featuring four main themed halls and showcasing over 80 precious items, including two world premiere pieces.
The exhibition traces the illustrious history of Guerlain perfumes, from the "Eau de Cologne Impériale" created in 1853 by the first-generation perfumer Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain for Empress Eugénie, to Aimé Guerlain's groundbreaking 1889 creation "Jicky". It also highlights Jacques Guerlain's legendary work "Shalimar" that revolutionized the perfume world, and Jean-Paul Guerlain's introduction of the first oriental men's fragrance "Habit Rouge". Today, the legacy continues with classic creations by the fifth-generation master perfumers Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk.
The opening day saw distinguished guests such as Joan Valadou, the Consul General of France in Shanghai, Andrew Wu Yue, president of LVMH Greater China, Stella Ye, general manager of Guerlain China, Ann-Caroline Prazan, Guerlain's Director of Art, Culture and Heritage, and Guerlain's master perfumer Thierry Wasser gather to discuss and share the extraordinary connection between the Guerlain perfume house and French culture.
"In this exhibition, we hope to reveal what is the true essence of Guerlain?" Prazan posed the question to China Daily after the opening ceremony.
"What is the story of Guerlain? Only through a deep understanding can the Chinese audience truly resonate with or find their own connection to the brand. The legacy of Guerlain lies in our consistent commitment to an authentic cultural core, rather than blindly following trends.
Within the historical context of 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and France, Guerlain has had particularly profound cultural exchanges with China. Chinese culture has deeply influenced our creative inspiration, from classical art to contemporary design, with Chinese artists continually providing us with inspiration."
She added that "regarding the Chinese market, we always embrace an attitude of sincere artistic dialogue. Every time I visit China, I prefer to explore art workshops rather than shopping malls. We believe that true luxury should be a perfect fusion of culture and nature, a value proposition that Guerlain has upheld for 200 years."
