This Valentine’s Day, The House of Creed is celebrating Legends in Love through an exclusive partnership with Compartés Gourmet Chocolates. Inspired by our Aventus Trilogy, Compartés created unique chocolate bars for each of the three fragrances for a truly made-in-the-stars pairing. We sat down with Compartés lead artisan chocolatier and CEO, Jonathan Grahm, to learn how he created these unique flavors for The House of Creed, and what inspires him to be a legend in his everyday life.
What began your passion for chocolate?
“I’ve always loved chocolate --who doesn’t? It’s truly a universal food;no matter where in the world you are, everyone has their own take on it, and it’s something that makes people happy. For me, I love the excitement of creating truly unique things that have never been done before, like any artist. My medium just happens to be chocolate.”
Where do you draw inspiration from when creating such unique flavor combinations in your chocolate?
“Everything truly tastes better with chocolate. It lends itself to so many flavors... florals and fruits can create three-dimensional experiences. A feast for the mouth and eyes. Inspiration is everywhere for both the flavors and visuals we create.”
You’ve made Compartés chocolate synonymous with art, design, and fashion. How did you take a chocolate company founded in 1950 into the modern food scene?
“I’ve always loved beautiful, tasteful things, so it felt natural to combine my love of art, design, and fashion into my ultimate passion: chocolate. When Compartés began in 1950, it was frequented by Hollywood’s finest, but it lost its luster over time. When I began working there at age 15, I knew I wanted to rebuild it from the ground up, even then. Now, through new recipes, packaging and exciting partnerships like this one with The House of Creed, we’ve been able to reinvent the brand for the modern age. I’ve tried to build something that I would love as a customer, and I hope that people now see it as an icon in the world of chocolate.”
For the collaboration with House of Creed, we focused on creating flavors inspired by the Aventus Trilogy. How did you take these scents and translate them into unique flavor combinations that reflect the fragrances?
“The fragrances from Creed have such beautiful notes in them. To me, it was important to highlight those notes you experience when you first put the fragrance on. For Aventus, that meant notes of vanilla and sea salt paired with dark chocolate. In Aventus For Her, peach and rose married with white chocolate, and Aventus Cologne matched with ginger, orange, and milk chocolate."
This collaboration also celebrates “Legends in Love”. What couples do you think are some great examples of legends in love? What do you think it means to be a “legend in love”?
“Jay-Z and Beyonce are the ultimate “Legends in Love” to me. They know when to build each other up, and when to step back and let the other shine. They’re truly a yin and yang. They compliment each other, just like these chocolates are meant to compliment the fragrances.”
Lastly, The Aventus Trilogy celebrates strength, visionaries, and success. How do you embody this in your everyday life and how do you bring this attitude to your work at Compartés?
“Without a large staff, I’ve been able to grow Compartés largely on my own as a brand. This company has been my life’s passion for over 10 years. I try to use my strength to hold true to what Compartés is; everyone has ideas, but I’ve had my eye on what I believe it is and should be always. It’s so humbling to see that people really believe in the brand, and love it so much. I truly love what I’m doing, and it emboldens me to keep going and push the boundaries."
Want to experience our exclusive partnership with Compartés for yourself? Visit any Creed Boutique or check in with your local Creed counter for our Valentine’s Day events. You’ll experience decadent truffles inspired by the Aventus Trilogy and will receive a complimentary set of chocolate bars with purchase of a 50ml or greater bottle of fragrance.
