Fragrance house

Henri Bendel

Henri Bendel began as a New York millinery shop in the 1890s, with open-source accounts dating its founding to either 1895 or 1896. Its early business was associated with imported French designs, authorized adaptations of French couture, and Henri Bendel’s own designs. Geraldine Stutz led the company from 1957 to 1986, reshaping it into a fashion-focused retailer and a source of new design talent through editorial-style merchandising, a redesigned store concept, and support for emerging designers. In 1952, Henri Bendel was documented as one of the first American retailers to carry Givenchy, and it was also associated with designers including John Kloss, Steven Burrows, and Nicole Miller. The brand created its own perfume line in 1910, an initiative that launched its cosmetics line; in 2010, it introduced a six-scent Signature series including Rose & Oud and Gardenia & Vanilla. The Limited acquired Henri Bendel in 1985. In 2018, L Brands announced that it would stop operating the brand, and its annual report records that all stores closed and online merchandise sales ceased during the fourth quarter of that year.