Our business is not selling perfumes, but experiencing perfumes.
Eduardo Wolff
An old mansion stands on Avenida Alvear in Buenos Aires’s Recoleta district. Behind its doors is édition privée, a collection of independent perfume houses. Opened in late 2023, the flagship restored a historic building and transformed it into a place to take time discovering perfumes from around the world.
How the Store Began
The idea began taking shape in late 2019. Visiting perfume shops abroad, Beauty Group’s Eduardo Wolff saw potential in a store where people could learn about and enjoy the differences between perfumes as they might when choosing wine. A partnership with Cortassa followed in 2021, as work progressed on agreements with perfume houses and preparations for the store.
The chosen setting was the former Llobet residence, built in the early twentieth century and once occupied by Polo Ralph Lauren. Creative director Marcela Naón explained the choice:
Our idea was to place édition privée within a Buenos Aires architectural landmark.
Marcela Naón
Restoration began in late 2022. Architect Juan Fregona, restoration specialist Gerardo Pellegrino and their colleagues brought the mansion’s details back to life. Rather than erasing the building’s memories to make room for perfume, they welcomed those memories into the store.
All the rooms and floors were restored.
Juan Fregona
A marble hall leads to an oak staircase, with light filtering through stained glass above. Preserving the materials and decoration of the former residence, the team created a space ready to welcome visitors as a new perfume shop.
The Thinking Behind the Store
Wolff’s priority was never to make shopping as quick as possible. Before the opening, staff underwent four months of preparation, and the team included people with experience in hospitality and fashion retail. The time people spent in the space mattered as much as explaining the perfumes.
People come and spend two hours in the store.
Eduardo Wolff
His words suggest a shop where people pause while choosing perfume and conversations have room to continue. There is a small bar for drinks, and purchases are placed in cloth bags that can be personalised with a name. From service to wrapping, the details are designed to let visitors take home not only a fragrance but something of the time spent choosing it.
Verónica Escudero, who oversees the commercial side, looks for perfume houses bringing fresh ideas and distinctive approaches. The store gathers work that would not fit within a single major brand’s counter and communicates each house’s character. Moving from room to room as you choose a perfume brings the pleasure of visiting different creators’ worlds.
A Store to Visit
The Avenida Alvear Flagship
The Recoleta flagship is the natural starting point for exploring édition privée’s origins. The old mansion’s exterior and the world of perfume behind its doors together give the store its character.
Inside, a charcoal sculpture of a head by contemporary artist Vicente Grondona, titled Dhyana, was also installed. With closed eyes and a prominent nose, it was created for the perfume shop. Alongside the restoration of historic architecture, a new artistic expression of the sense of smell has entered the building.
The store’s world of fragrance has continued to grow beyond its opening selection. In 2026, it introduced the American house Mind Games to Argentina, bringing together chess and perfumery. The thinking behind a move in the game is reflected in the shapes of the bottles and the names of the perfumes. Visitors can begin with the scent itself or find their curiosity sparked by its story.
That same year, édition privée welcomed Matière Première co-founder Caius von Knorring to Buenos Aires for the launch of Metal Lavender. From a house exploring the differences between materials to a brand inspired by chess, each new addition offers another way into perfume creation, extending the experience that began in the mansion.
References
- El Cronista — Store opening
- LA NACION — Restoration
- Apertura — De la indumentaria a los perfumes de lujo: la reconversión de la Av. Alvear
- édition privée — Boutique
- Mercado — édition privée presentó en Argentina las fragancias Mind Games
- Mercado — édition privée presentó en Buenos Aires Metal Lavender
