HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS x 4D OUTFITTERS – An Afternoon for Niche Perfume Lovers

Some afternoons don't feel like an event, but like a scene from a French film. That's exactly how it was with HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS at 4D OUTFITTERS in Bregenz. A look back at 30 April 2026, with everything we don't want to forget, plus a few curiosities about one of the most idiosyncratic fragrance houses in Paris.

Scent in the air.
Lounge sounds in the background.
Guests with drinks in hand.
Elegant suits next to relaxed streetwear fits.
Young people next to long-time fragrance collectors.
Curious glances between bottles, fine jewellery and design objects.

And somewhere in the middle of it all: Herbert Stricker. Perfectly dressed as always. Calm. Charming.

The guest who came anyway

Shortly before the event, it wasn't clear whether the afternoon would happen at all. Herbert had had an accident a few days earlier. Exactly the kind of situation in which most people would cancel or postpone.

Herbert didn't say yes straight away. He wanted to see how he felt first. Then, two days before the event: "I'm coming."

We really appreciate that. He travelled from Frankfurt to Bregenz to make this event happen. The planned private talk had to be dropped. But that gave the afternoon a completely different energy: less programme, more conversation, more genuine moments.

And perhaps that was the best part: people had time. Time to test, to listen, to discuss. Time to truly experience real niche.

Real niche isn't fast food

That's exactly what we talked about a lot that afternoon. Many people today believe they wear "niche". Often, though, it's mass-niche with beautiful advertising and clean marketing.

Real niche needs:

• time
• advice
• patience
• experience
• and sometimes the courage not to understand something straight away

A fragrance by HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS doesn't reveal itself in one quick spray on a paper strip or into the cap. And yet that's what happens all the time: smell quickly, judge quickly, on to the next TikTok, the next Reel.

That isn't luxury. That's a fragrance drive-thru. Real niche is the opposite: stay a while, wear it, feel it, discuss it, understand it. How to test a fragrance properly on your skin: see our 10 tips on applying perfume. And why taking your time in a niche perfumery pays off: Experiencing luxury: how to behave in a niche perfumery.

SOLD OUT: chapter 8 of the blue bottle

The focus, of course, was the THIS IS NOT A BLUE BOTTLE collection and its newest chapter, SOLD OUT! This is not a blue bottle 1.8, which we presented that afternoon. A fragrance that doesn't want to please but to stand out, recognisable by the red SOLD OUT band on the iconic blue bottle.

And just like the fragrances, the event felt French, luxurious, modern and still emotional.

Sound, mocktails and flowers in electric blue

DJ ILKØ delivered the right boutique and lounge vibes. A real highlight: he produced his own AI-generated soundtrack around THIS IS NOT A BLUE BOTTLE and Herbert Stricker, which we later used for Stories and Reels. Paris Fashion Week meets futuristic fragrance art.

AUGUST Cocktaileria Dornbirn took care of the mocktails together with Hugo. Each drink matched a fragrance in colour and taste: SOLD OUT in blue with a red detail, Casentino in orange and Giardino di Boboli in green, both by Roberto Ugolini from Florence. Plus a 4D OUTFITTERS signature drink to round off the afternoon.

Guests went home with high-quality goodie bags full of surprises. Then there were three bouquets by SAGAWE from Lindau, in electric blue with red accents to match SOLD OUT. A small detail that gave the boutique an extra touch of elegance.

A jewellery moment on the side

Because 4D OUTFITTERS isn't only about fragrance, the afternoon had its own jewellery moment too. While guests discovered SOLD OUT on their skin, 18-carat gold tennis bracelets with brilliant-cut diamonds sparkled in the display cases. Tiny points of light flashing with every movement. Fragrance, design, fine jewellery: for a moment, everything shared the same rhythm.

A boutique dedicated to HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS

The boutique was completely rearranged for the afternoon. Everywhere people were testing, discussing, laughing and discovering, with guests from Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The whole Classic Parfums team travelled from Frankfurt and even stayed overnight in Vorarlberg to make the event happen with us. You could feel the passion in every conversation, every consultation, every fragrance.

Of course there was also a prize draw, which Herbert Stricker announced in person. And the HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS installation stayed in the boutique for several more days, so many visitors could discover the fragrances at their leisure after the event. That was exactly the goal: not just to show the brand briefly, but to bring it back into the spotlight.

What stays with us

These are the moments that stick. Not noise. Not mass processing. But real people, real conversations and real passion for fragrance. That's what HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS stands for. And that's what 4D OUTFITTERS stands for.

In the end, the afternoon felt less like a classic store event and more like a little French world of fragrance right on Lake Constance.

Merci

Merci to HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS. Merci to Herbert Stricker and the Classic Parfums team. Merci to DJ ILKØ, AUGUST Cocktaileria Dornbirn and SAGAWE from Lindau. And of course merci to all the guests who made this afternoon special.

An extra merci to everyone who liked, shared, reposted and tagged us. That's exactly what helps make events like this bigger and bring even more special fragrances to Bregenz and Vorarlberg. The more you share these moments with us, the more we can show you. In the mood for more? Read our look back at OLAKALA x 4D OUTFITTERS too.

P.S. After the event we went on to Chen's in Bregenz with Herbert Stricker and the Classic Parfums team, a place we really like ourselves. Good food, relaxed and honest conversations about business, fragrance and new ideas. Afterwards we walked Herbert along the lake towards the Festspielhaus while Bregenz slowly grew quieter. And that's where you realise what it's really about: not just fragrance, not just luxury, but genuine encounters with people who stand for what they do. Thank you for your trust, Herbert.

Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
Discovery Everyday Luxury