The French niche perfume brand, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, which is celebrating 15 years of its iconic fragrance Portrait of a Lady, is arriving in Israel and will be available at Factory 54 and Amor in Kikar Hamedina. The brand, marketed by the Estée Lauder group, draws inspiration from the world of art and has led the revolution of perfume curation with luxury fragrances crafted by the world’s leading perfumers, each scent telling a unique story.
Portrait of a Lady was created in collaboration with Parisian perfumer Dominique Ropion in 2010, changing the rules of the game in the perfume industry. It introduced a new model proving that a fragrance can be a profound artistic expression, telling a story and evoking emotion. This scent has become a timeless symbol of power and elegance, continuing to inspire the global perfume industry.
In honor of its 15th anniversary, Frédéric Malle and Factory 54 have partnered with the Tel Aviv Museum of Art to launch the exhibition "And Yet", which presents postmodern art from a contemporary perspective. This collaboration reflects the brand’s deep values, which engage with the art world and treat each perfume as a masterpiece.
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle is considered one of the most prestigious niche brands that has transformed how people perceive and appreciate fragrances. Malle, the brand’s founder, brought a revolutionary approach to the perfume industry by granting perfumers the freedom to create scents without commercial constraints or marketing demands, allowing them to express their personal vision—much like a painter creating a painting or a writer composing a book.
Portrait of a Lady is one of the fragrances that redefined the industry. Instead of adhering to the light, fruity scents typical of commercial perfumes, this fragrance embraces powerful femininity, sensuality, and timeless elegance, conveying its essence through its scent composition. The perfume embodies the strength of women and highlights Malle’s vision of timeless perfumery that tells a story and leaves a lasting impression, prioritizing quality and creativity above all.
The fragrance has become a symbol of quality and originality, restoring perfumery to its artistic roots rather than merely a commercial product. It has influenced perfume culture, inspiring many brands to adopt an artistic approach.
Born into a French family of industrialists and artists, Malle sought to break away from the homogeneous fragrances of the late 1990s. His vision was to create perfumes as one creates art—with boldness and boundless creativity—setting new standards for luxury perfumery. Malle acquired knowledge of raw materials and learned the perfect balance for the sense of smell at the prestigious Roure Bertrand DuPont perfume laboratory, where he worked with the industry's leading perfumers. There, he developed unique formulas and used pure raw materials obtained through processes such as molecular distillation.
The brand is sold in luxury department stores worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Harrods in London, and Galeries Lafayette in Paris. It is considered one of the five best-selling and most influential brands globally, boasting a collection of over 40 fragrances. The brand also offers a Home collection, including candles and room and fabric diffusers, as well as a Body collection featuring soap and lotion for the body and hands.