First Chapter : From the Beginning to the World War One

from left to right : Sir John Taylor at his office, John Taylor and Sir Thomas R. Woolfield, The opening of Cannes Agency in rue de Fréjus (now 41-45 rue Clémenceau)

What about us ?

A pioneer on the French Riviera, John Taylor has always been by your side. Guided by values that are dear to you, discretion, luxury and a very personalized service, we are proud to help you achieve your desires. A pride that has made it our motto, "More than 150 years of Tailoring your dreams".

First Chapter : From the beginning to World War I

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The first holiday villa to be built in Cannes in 1839, Villa Éléonore Louise. One may notice the inspiration from italian neoclassical architecture and a delightful exotic garden.

The meeting of a wildly talented botanist and a wealthy merchant

Once upon a time, a young British gardener, John Taylor, decided to get off the beaten tracks and to try his luck on the French Riviera. At only 20 years old, this young boy, driven by a passion for all things beautiful and by the effervescent aspects of plants, turned pieces of land into breath-taking parks and gardens. Impressed by his talent, Sir Thomas R. Woolfied, a rich, English merchant and emblematic Cannes figures during the Belle Epoque, requested him in 1854. The latter paved the way for English tourism, notably with his first holiday villa in Cannes, the Villa Eleonore Louise."

The castle Horizon, one of the first property built in Cannes, a symbol of the luxury tourism developement.

The opening of its first agence

While The flourishing British bourgeoisie were more and more inclined to holidaying on the French Riviera, John Taylor saw a new opportunity, that of developing real estate. In 1864, he invented the statue of “real estate agent” and inaugurated the first bilingual real estate agency. John Taylor continually provided shrewd advice and met each request to tailor people’s dreams.

With its stunning italian gardens arranged into terrraces, villa Florentina reflects the origins of the owner's wife, who was born in Florence.

The creation of an empire

Yet, he did not cap himself to real estate and relentlessly expended his empire. He created a luxury concierge service, a wine and spirits sales activity as well as banking services. His success and devotion were such that on October 20 of 1909, Sir John Taylor was made a member of the Royal Order of Queen Victoria.

Villa Serena is a testimony of that time in which the train brought the Saint-Petersburg elite and its fine duchesses to Cannes. Unlike the English aristocracy, who set up home to the west of the town, the Russians preferred the east of Cannes.