“It’s eating, a walk, roses. Sometimes it’s travel, food, and also just being a creator.” Erwin Creed – a member of the seventh generation of family-owned Parisian perfume house, Creed – finds inspiration in life’s finer details.

Creed spoke to RUSSH on creativity, sensuality and the importance of maintaining individuality in a house that’s been handcrafting uncommon fragrances for more than 250 years.

What’s your earliest memory of fragrance?
Pinocchio; it was the first perfume I made together with my father. It’s named after my father’s dog.

How would you describe the Creed brand?
We are a niche brand. We have the formula of the perfume and we decided which direction we are going to take and which ingredients we work with. We’re creative because not everybody makes perfume like we do. We create perfumes like a chef ... It influences the way we take some ingredients. We’re the only ones who do this today, maybe one per cent of all of the brands in the market make their own perfumes.

“The most important thing is to have lots of new
ideas, new inspiration ... don't be
focused too much on one kind of thing.”

“People want to smell your perfume,
they want to be more close to you.”

Creed is 250 years old. How do you maintain your core brand?
We’re not focused to sell too much perfume, because the more we will sell ... [the] more we will lose our quality.

What would you say is the most important quality of a fragrance?
The perfume needs to be not aggressive, it needs to be sensual. I also think the most important part is the ingredients.

Do you wear perfume?
Sometimes, but honestly most of the week I don't ... I smell perfumes so I need to smell the scent rather than wear the perfume.