IFF Perfumers In the News

March issue of Perfumer & Flavorist has a five page feature by Michelle Krell Kydd devoted to Thierry Mugler Le Parfum. The feature comprises an interview with perfumer Christophe Laudamiel of International Flavors & Fragrances. There is also a separate article discussing the fragrances. Laudamiel is also a subject of The Boston Globe article, Making Perfect Scents.

Moreover, another two IFF perfumers have been in the news lately. The Friday issue of Women's Wear Daily ran a story of Nobi Shioya's project, Made by Blog. The article talks of perfumers Clement Gavarry and Laurent Le Guernec, who have been working with fragrance bloggers Marina  of Perfume-Smellin' Things and Katie of Scentzilla. The goal of Made by Blog project is to demonstrate the process of fragrance creation.  You can read more about Shioya's projects in The New Wave, Part 1, which was published in the Perfumer & Flavorist newsletter.

Interview with Christophe Laudamiel and Christoph Hornetz : by Marian Bendeth

Marian Bendeth, fragrance expert, consultant and contributor to Bois de Jasmin (please see her Signature Scent article) is taking us on a fascinating journey in her recent two part piece on the excellent perfume-dedicated website Basenotes. Interview with Christophs offers a glimpse into mindset of Christophe Laudamiel and Christoph Hornetz, while The Smell of Flesh, Life and Death presents Marian's thoughts on Thierry Mugler's Le Parfum Coffret. I read both pieces a few times, and I know that I will return to them again and again.

For my take on Thierry Mugler Le Parfum Coffret, please see the article I published in November. Photo of Christoph Hornetz (left) and Christophe Laudamiel (left) is courtesy of Marian Bendeth.

Guy Robert's Selection of Perfume Masterpieces

In his book, Les Sens du Parfum, the perfumer Guy Robert lists some of the perfumers whose work he considers to be especially outstanding, alongside with some of their most notable masterpieces. Robert is the author of such fragrances as Amouage Gold, Christian Dior Dioressence, Hermès Calèche, Hermès Equipage and my own favourite Hermès Doblis. I always considered this list as including the classics one definitely must try. Unfortunately, some of them are no longer available, or not available in their original form. If you have a particular interest in seeing a review of any of them, please let me know. Cordon Vert is the only one I have not tried from this list.

François Coty -- Chypre, L'Origan, L'Ambre Antique, L'Emeraude, La Cologne Cordon Vert.
Jacques Guerlain -- Mitsouko, Shalimar, L'Heure Bleue. ...

Film with Jean-Michel Duriez of Jean Patou

Sacré Nobi has published a short film made for a campaign for Lexus ES 350, called “The Science of Desire”. The film revolves around Jean-Michel Duriez, the in-house perfumer for Jean Patou. If you recall my article about Jean Patou cocktail bar, you would be able to see the bar and the famous Monclin glasses used by the perfumer.

Video Interview with Clement Gavarry and Laurent Le Guernec

I love learning more about people who create fragrances. It is even more enjoyable when one gets to see not just a professional, but a person, with their likes and dislikes, passions and interests. Which is why I was glad to discover a fascinating video interview on Made by Blog with perfumers Clement Gavarry and Laurent Le Guernec, who worked together on Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely. The film is created by the New York based photographer and video artist Miss Liz. The most interesting aspect of the film is the glimpse it offers into the personality of each perfumer, which makes one understand what drives their creative process and what serves as a source for their inspirations. Made by Blog is a project started by Sacré Nobi, exploring a novel manner of fragrance creation.

Painting: Pablo Picasso. Man's Head with Red Nose. 1965.

Ralf Schwieger : Portrait of an Artist

The winter light is casting pearly grey shadows upon Paris, as if transforming the city into a sepia photograph. The neat rows of trees in the Jardins des Tuileries are shrouded in a light mist which also covers the tall towers of the Museum and hovers above the transparent glass facades of the Pyramide. Looking up I glimpse the glow of lights inside the galleries containing treasures of art for which the Louvre is rightfully renowned. However, today I do not intend to enter its halls, because my purpose is to meet the perfumer behind fragrances which themselves can be termed works of art. Although it is the first time we meet, it is not difficult to pick Ralf Schwieger out of the crowd. The man approaching me has a handsome face that recalls paintings of Romantic period artists. He is dressed in a tailored black jacket which further completes the portrait. Although he is a relatively young perfumer, Mr. Schwieger is the author of several noteworthy fragrances such as Hermès Eau des Merveilles, Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose, Marc Jacobs Men, Paula Dorf Zita and Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll. Given the incredible growth of competition within the industry, such a portfolio speaks for itself. ...

Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine: Maurice Roucel, Mandy Aftel and Much More

The July/August issue of Perfumer & Flavorist (vol 31, no 7) is featuring a great article about Maurice Roucel (p. 16-18). “When a great perfumer puts the genie in the bottle, the magic—the ‘it’ factor—is almost always a direct result of the character and life experience of the perfumer. This is certainly the case for Maurice Roucel, whose skills, intelligence and humility are a pleasure, in person or out of a bottle,” writes Michelle Krell Kydd as she leads the reader into the story of Roucel’s unique magnolia signature and his passion for the art of perfumery. For some like me who is an ardent admirer of Roucel’s work, the article is a wonderful discovery, helping me to learn more about the perfumer and person whose Hermès 24, Faubourg, Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur and Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist have touched my heart and captured my imagination.

The same issue also contains an interview (p.20-21) with the natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, who discusses how she started upon the path of natural perfumery, where she derives her inspirations and the affinity between flavour and fragrance. There is also a compilation of 151 noses to watch (p. 22-31). It is overall an excellent issue. The P&F requires a yearly subscription; however, individual articles can be obtained from a searchable database at the P&F magazine Article Archives.

Photo of Maurice Roucel from Editions de Parfums.

Interview with Perfumer Sophia Grojsman

To say that Sophia Grojsman is responsible for a revolution in perfumery would not be an overstatement, because her unique vision ushered in a new style of fragrances that broke with the traditional classical forms formerly prevalent. Indeed, she is a Picasso of perfumery, with her fragrances unfolding into visions that were as progressive as they were breathtaking. Just like Cubism fragmented three-dimensional forms, intertwining the elements in such a way as to present multiple views of the same subject, Sophia Grojsman’s fragrances changed one’s perspective by allowing the base notes to be visible from the top. ...

Perfumer Germaine Cellier

One of the first famous female perfumers, Germaine Cellier (1909-1976) was a creator ahead of her time, relying on short formulas to paint dazzling abstractions and treating notes as colours, much like a painter would. She was not afraid to use a large quantity of the aggressive aroma-chemical isobutyl quinoline in creating of the leather accord for Robert Piquet Bandit or 8% of galbanum for infusing Balmain Vent Vert with a fierce verdancy. She was also responsible for Robert Piguet Fracas (1948), Balmain Jolie Madame (1953), Balmain Monsieur Balmain (1964), and Nina Ricci Coeur-Joie (1946).

It is said that she was a striking woman—elegant, tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed. She had a sharp sense of humour and was full of vitality. She posed for André Derain and counted other famous painters and sculptors among her friends. ...

Perfumer Isabelle Doyen of Annick Goutal

Isabelle Doyen says that she became a perfumer through a convergence of circumstances. At the age of 4, she asked herself how a pear can smell of rose and a rose smell of pear. She found this mystery dizzying. She was intrigued by the notion of perfume and she thought that it was a very unique pursuit. Now, it has been 18 years, since she has been practicing the art of perfumery. From SFP.

She created the following fragrances for Annick Goutal: Ce Soir Ou Jamais, Duel, Eau du Fier, Eau du Sud, Gardenia Passion, Grand Amour, Les Nuits d’ Hadrien, Mandragore, Petite Cherie, Sables, Vanille Exquise, and Songes, to be released in 2006. Her other fragrance is Eau du Prince Jardinier by Prince Jardinier.