Henri Bendel

Henri Bendel is a New York luxury accessories and fragrance brand founded in 1895 by Henri Willis Bendel, originally as a millinery boutique before evolving into a full specialty retailer on Fifth Avenue. The fragrance programme, which began in earnest in the 2000s under ownership by Bath & Body Works parent L Brands, commissioned serious perfumers including Antoine Lie and Yves Calderone to create a prestige-adjacent fragrance line that distinguished Bendel from its more mass-oriented sister brands. The West Indian Jasmine, Ambre Vanille, and Fragrant Mist collections attracted a following for their quality relative to price, and the house was regularly cited in editorial comparisons with niche fragrance. L Brands closed Henri Bendel stores in January 2019, ending over 120 years of retail operation on Fifth Avenue and beyond. The fragrance line became collectible almost immediately, with remaining inventory tracked by fragrance communities. The brand's website has been maintained in various states since closure. Henri Bendel represents a genuine fragrance legacy cut short by retail consolidation rather than a decline in product quality.