What Senteurs d'Ailleurs is known for

A Brussels niche perfumery on Place Stephanie, Senteurs d'Ailleurs curates rare fragrance, skincare and grooming houses little seen in mainstream shops. Staff advise across the collection in a gallery-like space devoted to independent perfume makers.

Senteurs d'Ailleurs is a family perfumery in Brussels run by the Donie family. Pierre Donie spent the first 24 years of his working life in finance before leaving that world at 47. With his wife Josiane he opened the first Senteurs d'Ailleurs boutique on Avenue Louise in 1997. The shop began with three southern French lines, L'Occitane, Esteban and Comptoir Sud Pacifique, chosen for their Mediterranean scents. Their daughter Laurence joined soon after and brought commercial experience to the project. From 1999 the boutique narrowed its focus to exclusive houses and parted with brands it judged too commercial. Through the early 2000s it added Diptyque, Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal, Mizensir, Creed and Kiehl's. In 2011 the house inaugurated two larger spaces on Place Stéphanie, almost fourteen years after the first opening. One side holds the Haute Parfumerie and the other the Haute Cosmétique with its treatment institute. ELLE Belgique described the black perfumery space to the right and the white cosmetics space to the left. A second boutique trades at 171 chaussée de Bruxelles in Waterloo. Staff in both the perfumery and the institute advise each client across the collection.