This is London October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 32
32
IRIS DEBONAIR NEW FRAGRANCE
FROM CREED
Back in the day, those in the know
always wore Creed, fondly referred to as a
whispered fragrance. Times have moved
on, the company now under ownership of
L’Oreal, but the cachet of a perfume
favoured by women who choose subtelty
over marketing, remains steadfast.
Established in 1760 by James Henry
Creed as a tailoring house serving the
royal families of Europe, Creed is the
largest global independent player in the
high-end fragrance market and boasts a
prestigious family heritage and a legacy
testifying to a unique creative spirit.
Praised for its rich heritage, timeless
scents, and unisex versatility, Creed is
widely recognised for manufacturing
artisanal essences of unrivalled quality
using a traditional technique and for
crafting highly distinctive and
sophisticated scents. Distinguished as a
House driven by artistry and perfection,
it is one of the very last luxury fragrance
houses to carefully source, research,
inspect, and commission their own
natural raw ingredients.
Through its 'Fragrance for the Future'
framework, Creed ensures that its
fragrances, created with the expertise
and techniques of generations past, are
sustainably produced in their laboratory
in Fontainebleau on the outskirts of
Paris.
For many years, Royal Water was a
firm favourite in the Creed Collection
and, after a period from the shelves, it
has returned to delight the followers of
this exclusive brand.
This autumn, House of Creed is
unveiling Iris Debonair, a new fougère
floral fragrance unlocking the domain of
an aesthete, where every room reveals an
intentional art of living, with fragrance as
a seal of elegance. The finest English
lavender from Kent reveals itself with
crisp clarity and cool aromatic tones.
Perfected over twenty years by its
cultivator to thrive in Kent’s chalky soil,
this lavender grows slowly in the cool
English climate. This gentle pace creates
a scent that is uniquely smooth and
fresh. Deeper in the palette, French iris
pallida, magnetic and addictive, softly
suffuses powdery shades of pale blue. A
masterpiece from Les Landes, where the
roots are meticulously cultivated for over
three years, then refined through a
process perfected over twelve years,
resulting in an exceptional concentration
and placing iris pallida among
perfumery’s most precious materials.
Charm unlocks instantly with this
British-French duality of ingredients,
with a luminous stroke of bergamot on
top, co-infused with absinthe leaves.
‘Iris Debonair’, a name spoken with a
French accent, reflects the House’s living
Franco-British heritage. Born from the
old French expression ‘de bon air’
meaning ‘of good disposition and good
lineage’.
The signature bottle is dressed in
light grey glass and a touch of iris
colour, inspired by Charles Creed who
anticipated casual chic decades before
its time, with an interplay of grey and
blue fabrics, his favourite shades. A
limited-edition travel atomiser in the
same subtle iris hue, finished in leather,
continues the experience.
International visitors will occasionally
see a display in an airport lounge or, for
those staying in the major London
hotels, there is certain to be an outlet
nearby – Fortnum & Mason is a reliable
haunt in the Capital, plus the Mayfair,
Regent Street and Covent Garden stores.
Creed remains one of the world’s
finest fragrances so choose carefully, for
those in the know, know.
HAMLET HAIL TO THE THIEF
Hamlet Hail to the Thief will have its
London premiere at the Barbican Theatre
from 31 October to 23 January,
following an acclaimed world premiere
at Aviva Studios last year.
In this fast-paced distillation of Hamlet,
Shakespeare’s words and Radiohead’s
songs illuminate one another in thrilling
new ways that fuse theatre, music and
movement. Personally reworked by Yorke,
the deconstructed album is performed live
onstage by a cast of musicians and actors.
Elsinore has a new ruler, and the air
bites. ‘Hamlet Hail to the Thief’ centres
on Hamlet and Ophelia’s awakening to
the lies and corruption infecting their
war-like state. When minds and hearts
are overthrown, music speaks loudly.
HACKNEY EMPIRE’S FIRST EVER
EMPIRE NIGHTS
Kurupt FM is headline act for the first
Empire Nights, taking place at Hackney
Empire on Thursday 22 October, as part
of the iconic East London venue’s
landmark 125th anniversary programme.
Curated and hosted by acclaimed
comedian Jamali Maddix, Empire Nights
is a new live series reimagining Hackney
Empire’s rich variety history for today,
bringing together some of the most
exciting names in comedy, music and
culture for one-night-only events created
especially for the theatre.
Kurupt FM have grown from cult
comedy phenomenon into an acclaimed
live and recording act in their own right,
taking their unmistakable blend of UK
Garage, Grime and comedy to stages
across the UK and internationally.
The launch of Empire Nights forms
part of Hackney Empire’s landmark 125th
anniversary programme, a 16-month
celebration of theatre, comedy, music,
community and heritage, as the Grade
II* listed venue looks ahead to its next
chapter under the banner of Hackney
Central – an ambitious five-year strategy
driven by new Chief Executive, Chris
Sudworth.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
