It’s been said that only men of a certain age – those with the confidence that comes with having truly lived – can carry off a fragrance from the legendary Creed. But that’s simply not true. Creed’s luxury scents are, and always have been, more about attitude than age. While Creed is famously discreet about its clientele, rumours have swirled for years about just who might be among the brand’s fans, whether it’s members of the Hollywood glitterati, the upper strata of the rock realm, or the apex of royal circles.

Of course, thousands of less-well-known men adore this, one of the world’s oldest fragrance houses, too, because, ultimately, the products speak for themselves. For example, Creed’s deliciously earthy, citrus-tinged  Original Vetiver, a modern-day interpretation of the 1948 original, is crisper, greener and lighter than most other vetivers, which allows it to be worn during the day and thus gives a versatility many of its competitors lack. This effect is achieved by the use of every part of the grass to provide the signature note, rather than just the root – it’s this kind of creative thinking that puts distance between Creed and many of its competitors.

As is the case with Original Vetiver, some of the company’s releases are subtle exercises in light and shade. Currently at the helm, créateur parfumeur Mr Olivier Creed studied fine art in his youth, which might explain the painterly quality. Others are as bold, brash and as in-your-face as fragrance gets. A handful, such as the piney, faintly medicinal Royal Mayfair, are positively challenging. But then the house has a long and illustrious history of doing things its own way, sticking to traditional manufacturing methods, dodging mass-market commerciality and producing timeless scents that last on the skin.

Founded in 1760 in London by Mr James Henry Creed, the House of Creed began as a tailoring firm. Having impressed King George III with the gift of a pair of scented gloves, word spread about the excellence of its scents and it soon began creating bespoke fragrances for landed gentry and the royal courts of Europe, before relocating to Paris in the mid-1800s. Since then, it has produced more than 200 fragrances, many of them bespoke creations for private clients, which then garnered attention precisely because of who wore them.

Ever since it was founded, control of the company has passed from father to son. Presently, Mr Olivier Creed, the sixth member of the family to run the House, oversees its creative vision alongside his son, Mr Erwin Creed. To this day, Creed fragrances are still made in the grand tradition, using the highest percentage of natural ingredients, with craftsmanship at their heart. Perhaps the most famous of the house’s artisanal offerings is Green Irish Tweed, a punchy evocation of the lush greenery of the Emerald Isle, which Mr Erwin Creed describes as “the heart of the House”. A magnificently green and mossy scent, it’s redolent of rain-soaked earth and cut grass and has a wonderful tenacity on the skin.

Meanwhile, Original Santal remains a benchmark for sensual sandalwood fragrances. Royal Water is a sparkling citrus-meets-spice number that’s perfect for summer and Silver Mountain Water is a deliciously crisp cocktail of bergamot, blackcurrant and green tea – perfect for those who shy away from strong, heady autumnal scents. Creed’s popular Millésime Imperial (the company uses the French word “millésime”, which roughly translates as “best of the crop”, to denote fragrances infused with the highest-quality concentration of essential oils), combines fruity citrus notes with a salty marine accord to provide a year-round hit of summer.

For those new to Creed fragrances, you could do worse than begin your olfactory adventure with the award-winning  Aventus. A woody, libidinous number with fruity top notes and a narcotic floral heart. And although barely a decade old (it turns 10 in 2020), it’s already the best-selling fragrance in the company’s 259-year-old history. More recently, its exceptional success inspired the fresh new Aventus Cologne, which sports a more contemporary, urban vibe.

If newness is your thing, then perhaps opt for the fiery, peppery, slightly minty Viking, which refashions the classic fougère fragrance formula for today’s generation. Voted Best New Male Fragrance at the 2018 Fragrance Foundation Awards, the fragrance industry’s “Oscars”, it is, like every Creed product, complex, multi-faceted and long lasting. As with all boutique fragrances, top-notch ingredients and a smaller production run mean it comes with a premium price tag, but, as Mr Olivier Creed likes to point out, if you wear the sort of fragrance that just anyone can buy, you’re going to smell the same as all the other men who wear it. And what man would ever want that?