The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Czech & Speake's No.88 began as a complementary offering for Jermyn Street design clients, a house fragrance, if you like, for people who noticed such things. In 2021, perfumer Shirley Brody revisited the formula with an EDP concentration, keeping the house's signature character intact. Bergamot provides the opening brightness, while warm base notes of sandalwood and vetiver anchor the composition with mineral depth and creamy richness.
The fougère structure is where No.88 EDP earns its name. Classic British perfumery has always loved that aromatic-green-medicinal axis, geranium as the warmth that sits between floral and herbal, vetiver as the earth that grounds without darkening. Here, the addition of frangipani and rose otto to the heart doesn't soften the composition so much as complicate it. Sweet acacia (sometimes listed as cassie) adds a powdery-animalic dimension that sits just beneath the surface. It's not quite soapy fougère. It's more like the smell of someone who considers themselves carefully, the kind of person who has opinions about cologne.
The evolution
The bergamot hits first, bright, citrusy, but with a woody undertone that announces the direction immediately. This is not a fragrance that teases. Fifteen minutes in, geranium takes over. The warmth arrives with it, not floral-warm, but aromatic-warm, like crushed leaves in a damp garden. Rose otto appears quietly, threading through the geranium without competing. The heart is the strongest part of the sillage, lingering for several hours as the composition evolves. Then the hand-off: vetiver and sandalwood arrive to shape the drydown, which is dry and mineral, with sandalwood's creaminess keeping it from going austere. The final hours are close to the skin, the kind of presence that requires leaning in. On fabric, vetiver can linger into the next morning, a quiet reminder of the aromatic journey.
Cultural impact
No.88 appeals to those who appreciate classical perfumery craftsmanship and are willing to invest in a scent that rewards patient wear rather than immediate impact. The bergamot hits first, bright, citrusy, but with a woody undertone that announces the direction immediately. This is not a fragrance that teases. Fifteen minutes in, geranium takes over. The warmth arrives with it, not floral-warm, but aromatic-warm, like crushed leaves in a damp garden. Rose otto appears quietly, threading through the geranium without competing. The heart is the strongest part of the sillage, lingering for several hours as the composition evolves.
The House
Czech & SpeakeCzech & Speake is a British fragrance and grooming house rooted in London's distinguished Jermyn Street. The brand began as a luxury bathroom fittings studio before crossing into perfumery with its 1981 launch of No.88, a fragrance that would define the house's enduring character. Headquartered at its original Jermyn Street address, the brand maintains a measured approach to development, releasing new fragrance interpretations rather than pursuing constant new launches. The collection spans traditional colognes alongside contemporary eau de parfum concentrations, drawing from British perfumery's classical foundations while maintaining a distinctly understated character. Under founder Frank Sawkins, the house continues to operate from its original London base, offering a focused range that includes No.88, Oxford & Cambridge, Cuba, and more recent additions like Frankincense & Myrrh and Dark Rose. The brand occupies a particular corner of British perfumery: respected among collectors for its classical compositions and its willingness to reinterpret established scents for new concentrations, rather than chasing market trends or seasonal novelty.
The Creator
Shirley BrodyBrody favors a transparent palette that showcases ingredients in their pure form. She often begins with a clear mineral or green base, then layers floral or aromatic notes that unfold gradually.
