How Henry Jacques translates passion and personalities into perfume 

Two years after launching the In All Intimacy collection with legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Perello, Henry Jacques CEO Anne-Lise Cremona is writing the next chapter with creative husband-and-wife duo Heron Preston and Sabrina Albarello. They share with Haley Sengsavanh the experience of translating passion and personalities into perfume 

On a warm November day in Hong Kong, a creative dream team assembled at The Upper House in Admiralty. They consisted of the artist, DJ and fashion designer Heron Preston; his wife and fellow fashion designer Sabrina Albarello; the CEO of haute parfumerie Henry Jacques, Anne-Lise Cremona; and her two sons, Sacha and Antonin Khalifé. 

The occasion? A celebration of the second edition of the In All Intimacy collection, featuring two fragrances designed by Preston and Albarello in collaboration with Henry Jacques. 

Throughout their conversation with #legend editor-in-chief Zaneta Cheng, the group affectionately spoke over one another, exchanged compliments and finished one another’s sentences. As much as Cremona gushed over the couple, her sentiments were clearly reciprocated. As Preston put it, “Excuse my French, but they’re f***ng serious about fragrance.” 

Founded by Cremona’s parents in 1975, Henry Jacques has become known for its ability to translate a client’s personality into a one-of-a-kind olfactory creation. In All Intimacy, which launched in 2022, feels like a natural extension of the brand identity. The idea for the collection came to Cremona after she had enough of the fragrance industry’s disjointed celebrity campaigns. 

“I started to be very tired of always seeing a face and a perfume that had no link,” she says. “I even felt sorry for the people behind [the campaigns] because most of the time it was not serving their own interests.” Cremona decided to take a storytelling approach, working directly with celebrity couples to create scents that were authentic “portraits” or sur-mesure (French for “tailor-made”). The first instalment was created in partnership with renowned tennis player Rafael Nadal and his wife, Maria Perello. 

The story behind this second instalment began two years ago in Paris. Cremona had hired Preston to DJ the Henry Jacques boutique opening, and was very curious what his personality would be like. Preston, meanwhile, had never heard of Henry Jacques. “It was another DJ gig of mine. [But] I was immediately immersed into their world when I went to their boutique,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Whoa. This is next level. Wait, who are you guys?’ Because you don’t always see that attention to detail and values, and the bespoke experience and the respect for natural ingredients.” 

After bonding with Preston and Albarello over dinner following the event, Cremona felt compelled to work with the couple. Although she never planned on creating another edition of In All Intimacy, their passion and curiosity to understand the “invisible art” of perfumery caused Cremona to reconsider. “It’s as simple as that,” she says. 

From the start, Albarello was very clear about wanting to incorporate scents from her childhood. One memory she drew from in particular was a perfume her mother used to wear, which coincidentally was also created for a fashion designer. Of Albarello’s final product, Cremona says, “Her perfume is really a result of her personality.” 

On the other hand, Cremona likened Preston in the lab to “a kid in the candy shop”, noting that he approached the project as if he was designing a collection. Preston’s day-to-day interaction with scents includes his hair oil, shampoo, deodorant, soap and lotions. Through his perfume, he hoped to replicate the universal experience and essence you get when layering different products into a unique signature combination. 

“Like when you walk past someone, you smell them, but then it just goes with that person,” he explains. “It doesn’t really stay with you. I was really trying to capture that through this sort of discovery phase of all of these ingredients. I went through, like, 17 different versions until I landed on my favourite.” 

This being his first foray into perfumes, Preston admitted to feeling frustrated in the beginning. “I’ve never had to use my nose to make anything. It’s just activating a whole new muscle that I’ve never had to use,” he says. “Strengthening that muscle over time was a part of the process as well.” 

Another aspect he found intimidating was creating a product for a global audience in a field he had never dabbled in before. “You’re going to get thrown into a kitchen, it’s your first time cooking, and you have to serve this whole restaurant,” he says. “Like, wait a minute, are you sure they’re going to like my food? Am I a good enough cook?” Reflecting on this experience, Preston credits the Henry Jacques team for being his “sounding boards.” He also learned there is no good or bad fragrance, saying it’s all subjective and about personal taste. 

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While recounting the early days of their collaboration, Cremona shared the unorthodox methods Preston used in the Parisian laboratory. “The first discovery was interesting. Suddenly, he took three blotters and started moving his arms like a dance. I was watching him, and he said, ‘This is the combination I love.’” Preston adds, “I think when I put the three blotters up, I finally felt like I was on to something.” 

Preston’s final fragrance, which Albarello describes as “very special, very different, very Heron”, is in the fougère/leather family. According to the official description, it “starts with a clean, crisp burst of freshness from the Brazilian palmarosa. A hint of rose, bergamot and spicy notes balance the fresh spark. Then dry notes from hay and tonka bean’s almond notes warm up the fragrance. Vanilla and benzoin add leathery and smoky notes and deepen the fragrance.” 

Albarello’s fragrance, in contrast, “has a warm and enveloping opening with spicy notes of cinnamon and cardamom. Then tonka bean and clove counterbalance the comfy sensuality of the clean, musky notes of delicate white flowers. Vanilla, benzoin and deep, rich woody notes give elegance and coziness.” 

The three notes Preston had reacted to so enthusiastically were sandalwood, benzoin and tonka bean, which coincidentally appear across both scents. “That’s also why they match so well together,” Cremona says, to which Albarello chimes in, “Like a family, right?” 

In fact, the couple welcomed their first child in 2024 and she made an unexpected contribution to this project. According to Cremona, the Henry Jacques tradition for all bespoke fragrances includes a personalised leather chest. When choosing a colour, Preston went with his signature orange. Meanwhile, Albarello chose light purple, inspired by the background colour of the painting in their home that their newborn daughter kept smiling at. These colours are also the ones used for the packaging of the perfume. Even the couple’s dogs, Boo Boo and Bambi, helped Albarello decide which of two blends would be her namesake fragrance. “When [Bambi] smelled the one we picked, she started rolling around,” she says, “and she looked really happy.” 

Throughout this project, Cremona enjoyed getting to know Preston and Albarello and witnessing their relationship up close. “Seeing Sabrina through the eyes of Heron was really special to me, as a woman,” she says, turning to Preston. “I think you’re a great example of how men should be with their wives.” 

What began as a friendly dinner has blossomed into something far more meaningful: two distinct yet complementary fragrances that capture not just individual essences, but the chemistry of a partnership. In Preston and Albarello’s creations, Henry Jacques has managed to bottle stories, memories and a deep, authentic love – in all its intimacy. 

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