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Patrick’s Perfumes: Green Irish Tweed by Creed

10/5/2023

Translation: Katherine Martin

Perfumes are works of art, perfumers are artists and I’m a collector of their creations. Creed’s Green Irish Tweed reminds me of a fragrance from my youth – and that’s no coincidence.

Ah, the classics. You get them everywhere, be it in rock music, literature or cuisine. Examples? Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, 1984 by George Orwell and good old spaghetti bolognese. And, of course, there are classic perfumes too. Timeless fragrances such as Green Irish Tweed by Creed.

First Cool Water, then Green Irish Tweed

In 1988, Cool Water by Davidoff hit the shelves. Nineteen-year-old me liked it immediately, and unsurprisingly, it became my signature scent. Cool Water held on to that title for the next few years before my nose evolved, widening my interest in designer fragrances to include niche perfumes. Sooner or later, pursuing an interest like this inevitably leads you to Creed – and I was no different.

The history of the tradition-steeped brand dates back to the 18th century, and is just as colourful as its bottles. Over the centuries, it’s counted nobility and celebrities alike among its clientele, most notably Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Romy Schneider, Madonna, David Bowie, Julia Roberts and Michael Jackson. The King of Pop was reportedly a big fan of Green Irish Tweed. These days, Creed is owned by US investment firm BlackRock. So much for «niche».

First Green Irish Tweed, then Cool Water

The nose behind this classic fougère fragrance (page in German) containing peppermint, verbena, lavender and oakmoss is Pierre Bourdon. In 1985, the Frenchman created Green Irish Tweed for Creed before leaving the firm on bad terms. The question at the heart of the dispute is likely to have been who invented the perfume. Creed, more specifically CEO Olivier Creed, had a reputation of adorning himself with borrowed plumes. An interesting book on the subject was published recently.

Legend has it that Olivier Creed’s behaviour angered Bourdon so much that a few years later, he created a virtually identical fragrance for Davidoff: Cool Water. Over the late 80s and early 90s, the fragrance sold like hot cakes, and is still part of the perfume mainstream to this day. The perfumer got his revenge.

Following Aventus (of course) and Royal Oud by Creed, a bottle of Green Irish Tweed recently found its way into my perfume collection. After thirty-five years with the «copy», I’ve ended up with the original after all.

My name is Patrick. Bardelli. Not Süskind, the author of the book Perfume. Nevertheless, I’m also a great lover of perfumes and I regularly write about good and bad fragrances. Want to enjoy my literary odour? Follow my author profile. And remember: always follow your nose.

Header image: Patrick Bardelli

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Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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