Parfums de Marly's First NYC Store Is a Nod to Its Rich French History

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Parfums de Marly very quietly opened its first New York City boutique last Thursday at 805 Washington Street in the Meatpacking District, not far from the new Whitney Museum. Inside the French company's stateside boutique, hints of its history are in its decadent decor, like the portraits on the ceiling tiles or in a a painting behind a thick black drapes along the right side of the store's wall.

Named after Louis XV of France's Château de Marly (his royal residence for events, parties, and horse racing), the "art king" would commission a fragrance after each race. The store's interior is a throwback to the Court of Marly, where these fragrances were created.

Louis XV was the first person to breed Arabian thin race horses with the heavy European stock, and all the great thoroughbreds of today get their lineage from this king and the horses he bred; the names of the company's fragrances are named after said horses.

Parfums de Marly has three collections: classic, metallic, and women's (the other two are unisex) that retail between $195 and $275. The boutique also stocks candles created with an Italian perfumer and made with a proprietary edible wax that can hold 20% more fragrance, thanks to its natural wax (most candles have up to 6% of fragrance per load). The candles also have a wood wick that crackles as it burns. Sale associates recommend burning it for at least an hour but no longer than four, so that the fragrance "throws" and scents the room. This fancy wax will set you back $130.

Your best bet is the metallic collection (named because of its packaging), where you'll find the company's bestsellers — Pegasus, a spicy bergamot scent with hints of amber and vanilla; and Herod, a vanilla smoky fragrance. To celebrate its Manhattan debut, Parfums de Marly introduced Athalia, a scent with notes of white musk, orange blossom, iris, and amber.

Get a whiff of decadence for yourself by stopping in —” it's open daily from 11am to 7pm.