This Is the Fragrance House Behind Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn's Signature Scents

Though the scent was originally made as an engagement gift for Albert Krigler's wife, Gabrielle Chanel—or Coco, if you will—took a liking to the floral mix, and through Albert Krigler, was introduced to the perfumer who ultimately helped her create the iconic Chanel No. 5 scent.

As a nod to the Chateau Krigler property in the Champfleury village of Champagne, France, Albert Krigler created this elegant lily of the valley, mimosa, and rose scent for his wife, which was a refreshing departure from the heavier scents worn int he 1910s. "Grace Kelly lived close to the Plaza Hotel in the '50s, and she met my grandmother when she came there for teatime and fell in love with the scent," Krigler tells us. "She bought it, and even mentioned it on the red carpet when a journalist asked her where her luck comes from." Today, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is a fan, and was gifted a crystal bottle ahead of her coronation.

"This scent was created based on love letters between my grandmother and her fiancée—she was living in Provence, he was living in Berlin, but unfortunately he passed away in WWI," Krigler explains. Albert Krigler paid tribute to their love in the form of sandalwood, black tea, tonka bean, leather, and of course, lavender from Provence as a way to bridge the two areas. F. Scott Fitzgerald began wearing the scent after his wife Zelda took a liking to it during a factory visit, and Marlene Dietrich was so touched by the scent's inspriation, she began wearing it as well. Currently, the Lieber Gustav candles provide the aroma in the air of the Plaza's Fitzgerald suite, and vials were gifted to the cast of The Great Gatsby. "It was pretty special because the movie came out in 2014, and the fragrance was created in 1914, so it was an incredible way to celebrate its 100th anniversary," Krigler adds.

While Audrey Hepburn was filming her first movie, Monte Carlo Baby, she picked up this sweet orange blossom and jasmine mix at the Krigler boutique in Cap d'Antibes. "She wore it on the set of her film Roman Holiday, and there is a very famous interview with her and Gregory Peck where he comments on how good she smells," Krigler tells us. "Today, a lot of people still refer to it as the Roman Holiday perfume."

Though the green blend of vetiver, ylang-ylang, and orange was one originally commissioned for a British lord, it was gifted to Cary Grant by Marlene Dietrich, and forever became known as the "Cary Grant fragrance," Krigler tells us.

In 1931, Krigler opened up shop at New York City's famed Plaza Hotel, where the location (and labs) currently still stand. Ben Krigler's grandmother and grandfather created a bergamot, neroli, and mandarin-rich scent to commemorate the event. Ernest Hemingway, who ran in the same circle as the couple, was an avid user of the scent, and later on, so was John F. Kennedy. "He was a big fan of literature and actually wanted to become a publisher, so when Kennedy learned that Hemingway used to wear it, he got one to wear on special occasions, including when he became president," Krigler tells us. After Kennedy's death, fraternities at schools like Yale and Columbia would order boxes for their commencement date, and give bottles to each member as a graduation gift. The tradition has been running for more than 50 years at this point, and during a recent trip to the Plaza Hotel, George Clooney reportedly tried out the scent.

Clearly, the Krigler connection runs strong through the Kennedy family. When Jackie O was engaged to John F. Kennedy, he gave her this heady patchouli blend as an engagement gift. "It became even more of a phenomenon when the Jackie O movie came out," says Krigler. "We had a two-month long waiting list and it was very limited because we only have 2,000 bottles per year made in different sizes." According to Krigler, Princess Victoria of Sweden also became a fan during the time her sister Princess Madeline was living in New York City.

Launched for Krigler's 105th anniversary, Princess Charlene of Monaco started using the camelia, bergamot, lime, and peppercorn blend during her engagement. It was also gifted to Kate Middleton during the visit she and Prince William took to New York City. "The duchess was attending an event at the Plaza Hotel, so we wanted to offer her a gift and inquired with her entourage about what she liked. We were told she liked something light, fresh, and clean," Krigler says. "We thought this scent was perfect, so we offered it to her."

The latest installment from the fragrance house, which is a lively blend of sunny citrus notes as a nod to California, is a top seller at Krigler's Beverly Hills boutique, and Jessica Lange is already a big-time fan.