About us

THE CONCEPT

Love. Tattoos. Tobacco. Whisky. Chocolate. Chill. Summer. Coffee. Cupcake. Travel. Tea. Party. Happiness.

These irresistible addictions are the inspiration behind Akro, a fresh and innovative fragrance brand capturing the essence of a hit, a high, a rush - the taste of everyday pleasures. This original endeavour has been lovingly executed by Master Perfumer Olivier Cresp and his forward-thinking daughter Anais.

Thanks to Olivier’s expertise and Anais’s ingenuity, thirteen extraordinary scents were born; seaweed, hazelnut, cumin and whisky are just a few of the unconventional notes that shape this unique collection. Olivier has combined these outliers with superb ingredients from the Firmenich palette, the renowned perfumery where he has formulated fragrances since 1992.

ABOUT US

The story of Akro is the story of a family; of a dynasty that spans from the earliest days of the perfume industry in Grasse to the cutting edge artform of today.

It all started a few years back, when founder Anaïs Cresp was living in London and learning about the world. Working in the pubs and bars of the vibrant and diverse area of Ladbroke Grove, she became enraptured by the scents around her; by the flower stalls, coffee houses, charcoal grills, by the whiskey and leather of the grand old Irish pubs and the inescapable haze of weed in the air.

After a long, lost summer of indulging in everything the city had to offer, Anaïs hit on an idea; that these distinctive aromas could be bottled and turned into fragrances. Perhaps, instead of just fruits and flowers, you could wear your favourite pleasure of life on your skin.

OLIVIER CRESP

Luckily, she knew just the man to turn this daydream into a reality; her father Olivier, a master perfumer behind some most well-known fragrances on the planet - including Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue and Mugler’s Angel. Together, father and daughter began to share ideas, stories and eventually scents. Soon enough, Akro was born.

When it came to the decision of where to base Akro, there was only one choice: Ladbroke Grove, the place where it all began - the home of Trellick Tower, Portobello Market, Honest Jon’s, a hundred pirate radio stations, a thousand hookah pipes, Joe Strummer, AJ Tracey, the characters of Martin Amis, those grand old Irish pubs on the high street and the omnipresent buzz of the Westway.

Every day, Akro finds inspiration in the streets in the world around us, in the streets of W10, in our everyday addictions and the dreams we hold close to ourselves.