Floris of London

FLORIS HISTORY

The year 1730

JOHN FAMENIAS FLORIS, the founder of FLORIS, and his wife Elizabeth started selling perfumes, combs and shaving products in London's fashionable St James's Quarter.

The Floris shop they opened at 89 Jermyn Street remains the heart of the business and is still run by their descendants today.

1700

A letter from Robert Floris written to his parents in Jermyn Street while he was looking for ingredients abroad. A journey that inspired Neroli Voyage Eau de Parfum. 

The practice of taking a written page and turning it a quarter turn before continuing to write on it is known as cross writing, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries due to the high cost of paper and postage.

1820

FLORIS received its first royal warrant as a manufacturer of soft-pointed combs for HM King George IV. Skilfully crafted combs were a Floris speciality at the time, along with a collection of toothbrushes and mouthwashes, highly valued by the company's elite clientele.

1852

The year of the world-famous Great Exhibition. The exhibition was held in Hyde Park, just off Jermyn Street.

The Spanish mahogany cabinets and glassware purchased at the exhibition are still in the Floris shop today.

1863

Florence Nightingale had returned from the Crimean War and was busy establishing a training school for nurses at St. Thomas's Hospital in Waterloo. 

In our Jermyn Street shop we display this treasured letter written by Florence Nightingale in 1863 to "Mr Floris" thanking him for his "beautiful sweet smelling posies".

1870 

Mary Anne Floris married James R.D. Bodenham. In July 1871 the first of their children was born. Soon after, they moved into the family home "dear old Ivy Lodge", where they lived for another 50 years. In 1878, James and Mary Anne took over the family business from Mary Anne's brother Joseph.

1934

An invoice with receipt dated December 1934 for fragrances purchased by Winston Churchill, including Eau de Toilette Special N°127 and Stephanotis, both of which are still available in the Floris Signature Collection.

1950

Floris products continued to be handmade on the premises of the 89 Jermyn Street shop; Michael Bodenham (seventh generation descendant) begins work on his next creation. work on his next creation.

1955

Ian Fleming, writer and creator of James Bond, was a regular Floris customer and first featured the products in his novel Moonraker in 1955. 

Eau de Toilette No 89 was created the year before the publication of his first novel in 1951 and the scent soon became a favourite of the creator of James Bond.

1959

During the 1950s, Floris was exporting more and more orders to the United States, where the brand was gaining popularity. A receipt from our collection dated December 1959 shows a purchase of Rose Geranium made for Marilyn Monroe Miller while she was staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California.

1989

To meet the growing demand, the Floris family established a factory in Devon, which was officially opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Diana in 1989.

1989

To this day, Floris soaps are hand-wrapped at the Devon facility.

2006

Tucked away at the back of the shop at 89 Jermyn Street is the Floris Perfumery, home to the

Floris Perfumery, where all Floris fragrances have been created since 1730. In 2006, Floris opened the doors to launch a Bespoke Fragrance Service, giving people a unique opportunity to create their own perfume, with the guided expertise of Floris perfumers.

2013

On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, Floris launched Royal Arms - Diamond Edition, originally created to celebrate the Queen's birth in 1926. 

As the only perfumer to hold a Royal Warrant from the Queen, Floris produced a limited edition of the fragrance, decanted in 6 antique crystal dressing table bottles discovered in 1914.

2017

In 2017, Floris undertook the first refurbishment of the 89 Jermyn Street shop in over 100 years, carefully protecting the Grade II listed building.

2017

In 2017, to celebrate the refurbishment, Floris also unveiled two new projects:

1. a newly realised museum space at the rear of the shop showcasing a collection of Floris' archive items, and

2. The Ledger series, which re-launches 8 fragrances from customer books dating back centuries.

2017 also marked the first year of Floris' appearance at both Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Garden Festival. Organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, Floris sampled a collection of the best-loved floral and herbaceous scents.

2018

In 2018, Edward Bodenham, head of perfumery and 9th generation Floris family member, became Floris's new generation Floris family, became a proud member of the British Society of Perfumers, which was Perfumers, founded over 50 years ago by perfumers to help gain recognition and status in the perfume industry. recognition and status in the fragrance industry.