Meet with Creed at Skins Cosmetics Amsterdam

Last week I received an invitation from Skin Cosmetics in Amsterdam for a meeting with Erwin Creed. Since I'm a big fan of English colognes and Creed perfumes I was delighted. I reviewed Creed perfumes on Youtube Geurenland Channel. While reviewing you start  questioning. With the opportunity to meet Erwin and asking him questions personally  is the best one can get. But let me first give you a very short introduction to the House of Creed. 

Erwin Creed, Femke & me at Skins Cosmetics Amsterdam

CREED is a perfume house with its origin in London, and for two generations now also based in Paris, France. Creed makes English 'colognes' and is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. 

James Henry Creed founded the House of Creed in London in 1760. Yhe House became famous in the mid 19th century under Henry Creed, for he delivered to Count d'Orsay, Queen Victoria, and Empress Eugénie, who then rewarded the firm Creed & Cumberland a Royal Warrant for tailoring articles. Nowadays the House is a pure perfume house with two perfumers: father and son. They create beautiful perfumes. 

Olivier Creed (who is credited for Green Irish Tweed, Millesime Imperial, Silver Mountain Water and Aventus among others) and his son Erwin Creed who created Original Vetiver with his father. One can call Erwin Creed the 'Crown prince' of the company. 

An impression about Erwin Creed as a person. Erwin Creed at 31 is of the seventh  generation in a famous perfume family and one is aware of that. 

When you approach Erwin he gives you that feeling of a prince from a royal family. Somewhat like walking into 'The family of Charles V' the Goya painting at the Prado museum in Madrid (portrait of the family of King Charles IV). You are feeling culture and history here. A bit reserved at first, he becomes curious, open minded and enthusiastic as soon as he decides that you are really interested in perfumes. He immediately noticed my Songe D'un Bois D'ete / Arsene that I was wearing. So he must have a great nose.

My questions to Erwin Creed

Do you consider Creed perfumes French or English?

Erwin

The Creed fragrances are made from English tradition. I think English colognes are better than France. They have that freshness. And we want to keep it like that. If you smell Oud for instance, it's not pure oriental. It's still English and fresh. And yes, I'm French, I'm born in France, Paris. My father was born in Nice. I live in Geneva. But we have strong connection with the UK since our family is from there. 

Do you use natural, raw materials in the fragrances like real Ambergris in Original Vetiver, that you have designed with your father?  

Erwin

We use raw materials where possible in all our fragrances. But we are aware of environmental aspects. For Ambergris, we don't want wales to be killed (what actually happens) so we use a material that is almost the same. You will not smell any difference.

What fragrances you wear yourself beside Creed and what is a nice Creed for me for fall you think? 

Erwin

You develop your senses by trying different scents. I wear and use every different perfume, male and female. I'm interested to try almost every perfume. While smelling perfume I'm wearing, Erwin reaches out for Original Santal. Santal would be nice. It's warm and fits to the atmosphere. Than we smell Oud and finally he reaches out for Spice & Wood. We smell all of them. I feel comfortable with his advices and so is he.

I thought Creeds were more for summer fragrances, but they have scents that fit great to the fall and to winter too. 

Meanwhile, he talks with my daughter Femke and they both agree that Spring Flower will be her first Creed perfume. Young girls like this fragrance with its pink bottle. It's nice your daughter is interested in perfumes. 5 year old Femke telling Erwin Creed that Rose is here favorite scent. When I have a daughter she will be interested in perfumes too I'm sure,  he says with a grin on his face. 

My last question is, how do you see the future of the Creed house? Can you give us some idea about your future plans?

Erwin

I will continue in the way we are going for generations. I point to the fact that some fragrances have note names such as Vetiver or Oud, but some wear fantasy names like Green Irish Tweed, or Aventus. Yes, we change some things some times. In the future, we will make new fragrances of course (a new fresh floral perfume will be introduced soon).  I'm also thinking about making bigger sized bottles. People like that nowadays. So maybe we will do other sizes for our bottles in future. 

I tell Erwin about my addiction to Aventus, Green Irish Tweed and Silver Mountain Water. And that I think Silver Mountain Water really smells like wind over a glacier. And like crispy snow in the air.... I see a twinkling in Erwin's eyes. Yes, I agree he says, it's that dry air and that what you described. (Meanwhile we start to speak French). I tell him that I went skiing with Femke. Oh yes,  I LOVE skiing, he says. And start to talk passionately about skiing.

My first Creed fragrances

I could talk for hours with Erwin. I thank him for this nice conversation and wish him a safe trip home by TGV back to Paris. I also thank Skins Cosmetics’ owner Philip Hillige and marketing manager Suzanne Klokke - van Dijk for making this intervieuw possible. I tell them that I have to bring Femke to her swimming lessons. Yes, Femke says, I have to learn this 'fish tale', so I can swim with daddy. Some things are just more important than perfumes. Than we run back to the car and head for the swimming pool where Femke shows me her fish tale position. While Femke is practicing, I think back about this pleasant meeting with Creed.

My latest Creed classics

Fragrances from the House of CREED

• 2000 Fleurs

• Acier Aluminium

• Acqua Fiorentina

• Ambre Cannelle

• Aventus

• Baie De Genievre

• Bois De Cedrat

• Bois Du Portugal

• Chevrefeuille

• Citrus Bigarrade

• Epicea

• Erolfa

• Fantasia De Fleurs

• Fleur De Thé Rose Bulgare

• Fleurissimo

• Fleurs De Bulgarie

• Green Irish Tweed

• Green Valley

• Himalaya

• Imperial Millesime

• Irisia

• Jardin D'Amalfi

• Jasmal

• Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie

• Les Floralies

• Love In Black

• Love In White

• Neroli Sauvage

• Orange Spice

• Original Santal

• Original Vetiver

• Private Collection Tabarome

• Royal Delight

• Royal English Leather

• Royal-Oud

• Royal Scottish Lavender

• Royal Water

• Santal Imperial

• Selection Verte

• Silver Mountain Water

• Spring Flower

• Sublime Vanille

• Tabarome Millesime

• Tubereuse Indiana

• Vanisia

• Vetiver

• Virgin Island Water

• Windsor

• Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse