Fine and dandy: Atkinsons opens flagship boutique on Burlington Arcade
Cavendish, Montagu and Grosvenor. The Duke of Wellington, Queen Victoria and Beau Brummell. These are just some of the aristocratic names to be found penned in faded copperplate in the pristinely kept 18th and 19th-century order books of Atkinson’s of London, a perfume house that was founded by Englishman James Atkinson in 1799.
The hefty tomes are now on view in the genteel upstairs salon at their new three-floor flagship on the Burlington Arcade. A fitting location for the maison which was relaunched in 2013 by Italian-based owners Perfume Holding, now that this mini-artery has been transformed into a fragrant parade of luxury scent, watch and cosmetics boutiques.
It’s remarkably close to Atkinson’s very first flagship. A towering gothic edifice on the corner of Old Bond Street and Burlington Gardens that dates back to 1926, the year the company was crowned official perfumer to the court of England. Today it houses Salvatore Ferragamo but if you look up, the gilded cartouches still read “Atkinsons 1799”.
The new boutique - Atkinsons' first in 60 years - is far more intimate. London-based designer Christopher Jenner's handsome nine-month reinvention project looks to Georgian influences, drawing upon English artisans and manufacturers to create the custom-made furniture, lighting and details.
"I felt it was important to use English crafts to add value and character and to closely align the interior with the brand's heritage," he says. Well versed in the art of reviving dormant lifestyle brands, his research included studying archive photographs of the original store.
Thankfully Atkinsons reborn wears the past in noble materials such as coloured marbles and brass, rather than by including the somewhat dated fairground-like novelties of yesteryear, such as a perfume fountain and the poor bear that was once chained up outside. The bear wasn't just symbolic, early Atkinsons products for its dandy clientele included hair and beard balm containing grease taken from the animal's paws. Thankfully the only grizzly incumbent now is in the form of a china ornament that stands in the upstairs salon, alongside vintage perfume bottles and jars.
The ground-floor store is a rich, dark space. Fragrances are illuminated like jewels, glowing against a perfume counter and floor of dark book-matched Rio Nero marble and walls of mirrored panelling, that's impregnated with gold and copper leaf and expertly tarnished by specialist Ruth Parker.
Original fragrances have been reinterpreted, with eight in the Legendary Collection. The same number make up the newly formulated Contemporary Collection, of which Pirates' Grand Reserve with notes of rum and Madagascar vanilla is selling particularly well. There are also signature fragrances named after Atkinsons' former and current address and a four-strong Oud range. In the near future customers will be able to book hour-long private consultations, which will be complimentary in exchange for the purchase of a fragrance.
Upstairs feels like the residence of a dapper Georgian gent with lovely handcrafted details such as crimped metal pelmets, articulated wall lights, brass and onyx sconces and pure silk carpets in 36 shades, handknotted in Nepal. Meanwhile, in the basement customers can enjoy a classic barber's experience by appointment, courtesy of the fabulously attired Umberto, a modern-day dandy if ever there was one.
Now on sale in 33 countries worldwide and with the Italian owners looking to relocate their headquarters to the UK, it would seem Atkinsons is set to blossom again.
Atkinsons, 41 Burlington Arcade, Atkinsons1799.com