The Krigler Boutique at the Plaza Hotel (June 27, 2025)

From left to right: A brief look inside the history of the Plaza Hotel; inside the Krigler Boutique at The Plaza; Krigler fragrance cards; me at the hotel’s Palm Court

The Plaza Hotel in New York is considered one of the City’s most legendary landmarks.  Built at the lower end of Central Park on 59th Street near Fifth Avenue, it has always been associated with the most luxurious people and brands in the world. The bookseller Assouline, Guerlain Spa, Maurice Fine Jewelry and others have shops there.

Among the shops that interested me most recently however is Krigler, the famous perfume house founded in 1904 by the German chemist Albert Krigler. It is said the Krigler created his first perfume, called Pleasure Gardenia 79 as a gift for his fiancée. The fragrance celebrated the scent of the gardenia flower, and was inspired by the Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.  He went on to establish the House of Krigler after working for the French perfume company Rallet.

With there being so much history to the store, not to mention the fact that the patrons of Krigler over the years have included people like Grace Kelly, Princess Victoria of Sweden, Maria Callas, and even Leonard di Caprio (they sell fragrances for men as well), I was just as curious to see inside the shop as I was timid about going in to find out more about it. 

I remembered though what Mr. Alexander had taught me about being confident onstage, and I used that same confidence, along with my mother’s help, to walk in the store and ask questions.

I sampled a number of fragrances, all of which were wonderful. One of my favorites however was called Eleganter Schwann 06 or “Elegant Swan,” which is made with German rose, sandalwood, pear, iris, lime, patchouli, and vanilla, and as the name suggests, has a truly elegant smell.  In fact, right away it inspired me to want to be a more elegant person and artist!

I’m glad I took the time—and had the courage—to go into Krigler.  It made me realize that I should not be afraid to be curious or to want to learn about something new, because this is one of the many ways we grow as human beings.