Heritage
A house, in its own words
Juan Famenias Floris arrived in London from Minorca in 1720, bringing with him the Mediterranean tradition of perfumery and an entrepreneurial spirit. A decade later, in 1730, he opened his shop at 89 Jermyn Street in London's St James district, an elegant quarter frequented by aristocracy and royalty. With his wife Elizabeth, he began selling perfumes, combs, and shaving products to a discerning clientele who valued quality craftsmanship. The business flourished through the 18th and 19th centuries, earning its first Royal Warrant in 1820 as Smooth Pointed Comb Maker to King George IV. This marked the beginning of a relationship with the British Royal Family that continues today. The Floris archive contains leather-bound books recording every fragrance formula since the company's founding, along with correspondence from illustrious customers including Mary Shelley, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, and Marilyn Monroe. Ian Fleming mentioned Floris so frequently in his James Bond novels that the brand became 007's unofficial groomer. In 1878, Mary Anne Floris married James R.D. Bodenham, uniting two families whose descendants still operate the company today. Floris believes in the enduring power of craftsmanship and continuity. As the only appointed Perfumer to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for over five decades, and now holding a Royal Warrant from King Charles III, the house approaches fragrance as a heritage art form worthy of preservation and evolution. Their philosophy centers on creating scents that stand the test of time, perfumes elegant enough for royalty yet accessible to anyone who appreciates quality. The house maintains an extraordinary balance between tradition and innovation. While they continue to produce fragrances like Limes (created in the late 1700s) and Stephanotis, they also develop contemporary compositions that speak to modern sensibilities. This duality reflects their belief that true luxury transcends fashion, offering instead a timeless elegance that feels as relevant today as it did centuries ago.