Madison Avenue is definitely an appropriate location for Creed, a company that consistently emphasizes its pedigree, the high standard of its products, and the exclusivity of its clientele. Within Creed’s uptown Manhattan boutique, its only freestanding location in the United States, several shiny, silvery Creed crests are embedded in the floor and in the sugar-white marble counters; a few cleverly placed mirrors reflect back the large expanses of the windows (with their view of the block’s other elite properties); and the perfumes themselves sit on backlit shelves like precisely seated guests at a formal dinner party.

Once you enter this somewhat intimidating, modernist jewel-box of a boutique, you may find that the sales assistance is unexpectedly affable and low-pressure…

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