Interview with Madeleine Florescu of Madison Perfumery Now in Budapest {Perfume Q & A} {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}
Madison Perfumery est. 2007, is a particularly sleek rendez-vous for perfume lovers in Bucharest, Romania. They have just opened a second perfumery in Budapest, Hungary. Like for the first one, Madison Perfumery on Andrassy Ut aims to offer an atmosphere of privilege and luxury. The design mixing old-world Central European charm and a modern, polished, urban sensitivity caught our attention.
We asked owner and founder Madeleine Florescu a few questions about the new place...
May I ask you who the interior decoration designer is for the new perfumery?
***the location in Budapest was a hidden jewel: one of the oldest pharmacies, founded in 1898. We realized we had to adjust our black/white Madison style, in order to embrace the special character it had. The old pharmacy furniture inside was and is protected by the Heritage Department, and so it couldn't be moved or modified. Which was great for us! After all, chemistry is the basis for perfumery as well.
We also had to detach ourselves from "Madison", and be flexible.
We saw a few proposals and didn't feel like we saw a winning concept. We knew that if we don't make mistakes, we can have the most beautiful shop in Europe.
So we got in touch with Lilian Driessen, who's done the Avery shops on London, Modena and New Orleans.
Lilian is Dutch, she's a fashion designer and creative director working internationally in the high end fashion business for over 22 years. She only started to design exclusive perfume shops since 2009, but her art background shows in every single detail of her work.
What was your inspiration for the ambiance?
****the "Opera Patika", which is the nickname of the pharmacy, because of the fact that it's situated 4 doors down from the Grand Opera on Andrassy Blvd, the main, most impoetant blvd in Budapest.
What perfumes are particularly appreciated by your customers?
***it is soon to tell, but so far By Kilian, Byredo, So Oud, Nasomatto. Very similar behavior as Romanians.
****it's been a dream of mine to try to take the concept outside romania, where I felt there was opportunity to showcase niche perfumery, where I thought I could do a better job.
Also, geography wise, it was easy. A lot of Romanians from Transilvania find it easier to shop in Budapest than Bucharest (200km distance versus 600km, respectively).
We've been trying to open for 2 years, we only wanted Andrassy Blvd, and nothing perfectly fit came up. Until this past summer. I instantly fell in love and envisioned a dream shop; the result is actually beyond my imagination, mostly due to Lilian. And the rest is history. :)
