Inside Hermès’ NYC Perfume Library

Scent is often said to be the most powerful memory trigger. So if you want people to remember you well, then we suggest you take a trip to the first perfume library by Hermès.

The world-famous Hermès brand is synonymous with all things luxury. Their Birkin bags and haute accessories are now being rivaled by an increasingly popular portfolio of scents. You may have experienced a Hermes scent before, but for the first time ever the beautiful bottles are getting their own store. Correction; it is not just a store; it is a full-on perfume library.

The collection of scents is now open for visitors to enjoy at the Brookfield Place luxury mall in lower Manhattan. Whether you are into scents or not, the industrial chic interior is worth a visit on its own. The 1000-foot space designed by RDAI and RF Studio Architects is a mirage of perfectly placed concrete, wood and metal to specifically highlight each perfume. Upon entering the modern interior, you must past the front garden, which boasts a staircase to nowhere and a video art piece called Oasis by Brookyln-based artist Daniel Gordon. The importance of the garden feature ties in with the brand’s top-selling Jardins series.

The whole experience almost feels like it was designed to be a Hermès home. Each line of signature scents they have curated have a distinct and original aura, and are designated to different rooms stemming off a central library. Here in the center of the space, you can create you own Hermessence, which can be wrapped in your own leather casing and monogrammed. It’s almost holiday season, just saying.

When Vanity Fair asked, Jean Claude-Ellena, the nose for the house of Hermès since 2003, about the stand-alone perfume library, he explained, “For me it’s quite an achievement. It’s funny, it’s difficult to be humble at a moment like this because seeing all these perfumes around me…. But, you know, it’s really about the products. They are the stars.”