BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 86
ENTREPRENEURS
combine the 昀椀nest natural ingredients
with Italian craftsmanship, artistry and
design. I wanted each creation to be a
multisensory experience, where scent
and packaging formed a complete,
elegant story that the wearer could
actually live. I like to experiment with
perfumery in non-traditional realms,
and that is what sets Xerjoff apart.
Building the brand was a journey of
both triumph and challenge. Sourcing
the 昀椀nest materials, developing unique
昀氀acons – perfume bottles – and
establishing a distinct identity required
patience, creativity and resilience.
There were doubts, of course –
moments when the path forward
seemed uncertain – but seeing how our
collections were appreciated by others
reaf昀椀rmed our belief in what we were
building. Especially in the early days,
every small victory was a stepping
stone toward something greater.
The idea for Xerjoff came about in
2003. I contacted some important
people in the perfumery world, and
they were kind enough to help me in
the creation of a perfume. I think they
probably felt sorry for me! By that
time, I was married, my two sons were
born, and I was studying perfume
in Grasse, the historic centre of the
French perfume industry.
So eventually, I ended up creating
two perfumes, Elle and Homme, both
housed in special quartz 昀氀acons,
but I didn’t know what to do with
them next. Xerjoff was really just an
experimental project at this point: my
everyday job was owning a design
agency in Turin, so I had something to
fall back on.
I convinced by my business partner
at that time to take them, and me, to
a design fair that was happening in
Moscow, where I met with a contact
of hers. I spoke a bit about what I had
in my hand and what my idea was. I
couldn’t believe it when he asked how
much I wanted for them.
I actually had no idea, so I added up a
The CEO of Champagne de Venoge, Gilles de La Bassetière, with Sergio Momo
“It wasn’t long before Xerjoff
began to gain recognition on
a global scale: today, Xerjoff
is present in more than 150
countries.”
few numbers in my head, how much
it had cost me to make them, and
threw out a number. The businessman
replied that he wanted thirty of
them: I only had two! So I rushed
home, opened Xerjoff of昀椀cially as
a company, and started production.
By 2005, Dominique Salvo and I had
founded Xerjoff.
where we can share the portfolio with
many clients from different walks of
life: our 昀椀rst boutique opened in my
hometown of Turin. Milan, Monte
Carlo, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Harrods
in London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur,
Barcelona and Paris followed, and
we will soon open in Santiago, Chile.
Our aim is to offer clients a unique
experience, guiding them in the
discovery of meaningful scents with
unique stories to tell.
From there, business started to grow,
and not long after, I met Roja Dove.
He only sells what he loves, and when
he asked to sell Xerjoff, that was a
huge step for us. At the time, we had
our 17/17 Stone Label collection,
perfumes put through speci昀椀c
distillation techniques and housed
in semi-precious stone 昀氀acons, and
Shooting Stars, where the perfume
comes with a certi昀椀ed piece of
meteorite.
It wasn’t long before Xerjoff began
to gain recognition on a global scale:
today, Xerjoff is present in more than
150 countries. We have opened 13
boutiques in strategic destinations
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ISSUE 24
Xerjoff CoExistence perfume
