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 Romania's capital lured Madeleine Florescu back from New York almost three years ago. Now she's launching the city's first high-end perfumery
Interview by James Wallman. Photography by Camil Dumitrescu
In the early 1980s, Dan Florescu defected to the West. It wasn't one of those "hanging beneath a truck things", according to his daughter. He just went on a business trip and didn't come back - until 1990, just after the Communist regime had fallen, when he came to pick up his wife and their daughter, Madeleine. They settled in a borough of New York City called Queens. Now 33 and resident - this time by choice - in Bucharest, she has just opened the city's first high-end perfumery, Madison.
Madeleine Florescu: I hate Romania when things go wrong. I've just had to drive out of town because some government office's fax wasn't working - things like this would never happen in the States.
James Wallman: So why did you come back to Bucharest?
 Madeleine Florescu: So many reasons. Romania's still a promising virgin land when it comes to business opportunities - and I will always be at an advantage because I grew up here until I was 14. And while also working and establishing a career in Bucharest, life is so much fun and full of dynamism - what with all the foreigners whose jaws drop at the beautiful women, and the money that's circulating at the speed of light.
And then there's the people. Building relationships in New York was very hard. And socialising felt like it had to be meaningful in some way - often in a business sense. Here, if you have a few hours to kill, it's so easy to get a few friends together. You make a few calls and everyone hangs out talking about important and not-so-important things. And then there's me. I will always be a European at heart.
 JW: What do you mean "European at heart"?
MF: That I love when food is an art, style is a must, and relationships are complicated and profound. And you know where can you be in two hours from New York? Chicago. I love that Bucharest is only 2-3 hours away from any European destination.
The fact that all my favourite places - Paris, Rome, Milan - are within quick reach puts a smile on my face when I wake up in the morning. And life is made up of little, simple morning smiles, no?
JW: So where in Bucharest do you wake up?
MF: Piata Romana, at the heart of the city. There's loads of cafés and just round the corner is Piata Universitatii, our version of the Champs-Elysées, where everyone goes whenever anything good or bad happens.
Like the other night, everyone was celebrating after the football team Steaua Bucharest won. It was the same in New York. As soon as I earned enough money, I moved out of my parents' to live in Manhattan.
JW: So how did you get into perfume?
MF: I've always loved cosmetics. At 16 I started selling lipstick part time and it just grew from there - I studied at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. Then my big break came when a Japanese company called Kanebo launched in the US. I helped them launch, was their first business manager, and when I left five years later had risen to be national sales director.
 JW: Do you have one favourite, signature scent?
MF: No. My mood changes so often. and fragrances are critical to your mood. They should reflect the aspects of your personality that shine at different times of the day. Sometimes you're more romantic, sometimes you want to be a powerful woman so that people hold their breath when you walk in a room.
JW: How do you help people choose theirs?
MF: I ask what their other favourite fragrances are, and work out what they like - such as flowers, or oriental and spicy notes.
JW: And who's the one person you'd like to walk into the store?
MF: Donald Trump. He's my idol. I met him once. I love the way he's really made it and he gives back to the community.
Madison, 5 Str. G-ral Berthelot, Bucharest, tel: +40
(0)72 708 0797, www.madisonperfumery.com
Shopping
Outwear - for casual wear Victoria 46 - for designer clothes and bags Exquisite - for shoes Comtesse du Barry and Delicateria Traiteur - for fine food and wine
Socialising
Meet friends - Grand Cafe Galleron and Caffe Latte by Cismigiu Park Best bar - the English Bar at the Hilton For cocktails - Fratelli Lounge For chilling - Embryo club
Madelaine Florescu, która po 14-letnim pobycie w Nowym Jorku otworzyła w Bukareszcie ekskluzywną perfumerię Madison, odpowiada na pytania Jamesa Wallmana.
JW: Dlaczego wróciłaś do Bukaresztu?
MF: Bułgaria ma duży potencjał biznesowy, a ja, ponieważ się tu wychowywałam, zawsze będę na wygranej pozycji. Tutaj mam szansę na karierę i ciekawe życie. Chodzi też o ludzi. W Nowym Jorku budowanie relacji było bardzo trudne. Żeby ktoś chciał się z tobą zaprzyjaźnić, musiał w tym widzieć jakiś interes. Tutaj jest zupełnie inaczej.
W sercu zawsze pozostanę Europejką. Myśl, że w ciągu 2-3 godzin mogę dotrzeć do Paryża, Rzymu czy Mediolanu, każdego ranka wywołuje uśmiech na mojej twarzy. A życie składa się właśnie z małych porannnych uśmiechów, nieprawdaż?
JW: W jaki sposób wylądowałaś w przemyśle perfumeryjnym?
MF: Zawsze kochalam kosmetyki. W wieku 16 lat sprzedawalam pomadki do ust, potem studiowalam w Nowojorskim Instytucie Mody. W końcu trafiłam do japonskiej firmy Kanebo, w której, po pięciu latach, zostałam dyrektorem sprzedaży.
JW: Kogo chcialabyś zobaczyć kiedyś w drzwiach swojego sklepu?
MF: Donalda Trumpa. To mój prawdziwy idol.
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