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How are the compositions of the best fragrances born? Is it the result of hard work, creative insight, or both? What makes up the work of a perfumer? We met with the “noses” of the world’s leading perfume houses to get a little better idea of how these people work and live.
Scientists, alchemists, magicians? Their job is to create ephemeral substances from volatile molecules for the delight of our sense of smell, for entertainment and temptation. But behind this external romance is constant work, experiences and creative search. Many of the perfumes they created have become a part of our lives, etched into our olfactory memory and excite the soul with their names alone. Well-known perfumers do not hide the fact that this is exactly what they are striving for. Although everyone has their own methods and secrets that determine the style and success of their creations.
Road to calling
Many perfume creators agree that the town of Grasse in southern France played an important role in their lives. In this cradle of perfumery were born Jacques Polge, Chanel perfumer; François Demachy, creator of Dior fragrances; Jean-Claude Ellena, creative director of Hermès Parfums. Others – among them Bertrand Duchaufour, lead perfumer of L’Artisan parfumeur, Comptoir des parfums, and Thierry Wasser, perfumer of the House of Guerlain – studied in Grasse. “My father was a perfumer,” says Jean-Claude Ellena. But he didn’t like to discuss work. To understand him, and just get closer, I tried to be around everywhere. And gradually began to understand the intricacies of the profession. Master Ellena dismisses the possibility that he inherited the gift. He believes in work. At the age of 16, Jean-Claude went to a perfume factory as a simple worker, and then made a successful career.
But Francois Demachy came to perfumery, on the contrary, in defiance of his parent. “He was a pharmacist and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. But! It was 1968. France was shaken by youth demonstrations. Everyone wanted to be independent, independent. I also! And this required money. So I went to work in a factory. Perfume factory,” Demachy specifies, but does not say if it was the same factory where Jean-Claude Ellena worked. Moreover, soon the young Francois changed his field of activity, enrolling in a medical college. Aesculapius did not work out of it, and Demachy returned to perfumery. Studying in the specialty “nose” was easy. He quickly got a job at the Charabot aroma concern. What was the first flavor? Demachy laughs: “Absolutely not glamorous!”
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He began his perfumery journey with a fragrance … for cows. More precisely – for hay, which was sprayed with the aroma creation of a young man in order to increase the appetite of cows. “As funny as it sounds, the scent was very successful. in certain circles. In my opinion, agricultural firms are still buying it!” If cows knew what increases their milk yield…
Creation of fragrance
How does the mystery of the creation of spirits take place? François Demachy admits that he often wakes up at night dreaming about fragrance ideas. He takes out a worn red notebook. Inside, moments and objects are written in alphabetical order, and next to them are the names of essences, animal products or molecules that are associated with them. The “red book” contains formulas for the smells of brakes, wet cardboard, stone, ozone, forest rain, sweets, a printer, a pharmacy … “My father’s pharmacies, of course!” The perfumer presses the notebook to his heart: “I have been keeping this diary for over 30 years. And I’m very afraid of losing him. My craft depends a lot on the past.” Memory is the core of the creative process. Especially when you need to inscribe yourself in the history of the famous House, which has its own memories, values and style.
Jean-Claude Ellen also has his own notebook. The master puts everything that interests him there: “It can be the smell of an appetizing dish, rare wine, freshly sawn wood, or some thoughts from the books you read.” There are always several test tubes with elixirs-ideas on his desktop. “Usually I compose a composition of 5-10 notes. Then I combine the components of the fragrance with alcohol and pause for 10-15 days. It’s always good to take a step back to look at your creation critically. If after a pause the formula does not suit me, I start again. Thankfully, Hermès gives me that freedom,” says Monsieur Ellena.
Demands… and emotions
But the freedom of Jean-Claude Ellen is an exception: marketing rules the world of perfumery. How to achieve a balance between brand requirements and your own emotions? Is it possible to combine the intuitive and the rational? Françoise Donche, Givenchy olfactologist, is so imbued with the spirit of the fashion house, where she has been working for more than 20 years, that she associates every note with a material or fabric: “For me, rose is satin, tuberose flowers are light muslin, citrus fruits are crepe de chine. And vetiver is associated with alpaca wool. I create fragrances in the same way as a dress designer: I cut and assemble from matching materials.”
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Thierry Wasser, Guerlain perfumer, admits that he loves to listen to the opinions of customers: “This is the best marketing research. If I asked them “head on”, many would be embarrassed to tell the truth.” Thierry does not hide the fact that his perfume idol from his youth was Jean-Paul Guerlain. Therefore, the values of the House are close to him: “I have not yet had to transgress through myself. I often, on my own initiative, discuss the work with Monsieur Guerlain. I am proud that I was able to return to our fragrances the notes of the Bulgarian rose, the fragrance of which Jean-Paul Guerlain once revealed to the world. During the times of socialism, we could not receive this component. But now the classic Guerlain fragrances have found their former sound.” Thierry Wasser does not deny that, respecting traditions, he creates in his own juicy, sensual style. He loves to surprise and even hooligan. But with continued success. So, his latest creation, the playful fragrance La Petite Robe Noire, has become a cult among teenagers. Let’s face it – atypical buyers for Guerlain.
Like – don’t like
All perfumers admit that among smells they have favorites and outcasts. François Demachy’s favorites are jasmine, “olfactory memories of childhood in Grasse”, as well as rose, patchouli, amber. The master does not like the smells of cumin and coriander leaves. “That doesn’t mean I don’t work with them. You have to be able to abstract.” Françoise Donche rejects spices: “Sometimes I use them, but without joy. The most aggressive, in my opinion, are the notes of pepper – I don’t include it in the formulas! But Madame loves the “bewitching smell of white flowers”, cultivating them in most Givenchy fragrances. Such a subjective approach is only beneficial for perfumery: thanks to it, a recognizable and unique style of great aroma brands is born.
Epic Marine, Hermessence, we created in collaboration with the famous culinary specialist Olivier Rollinger” Jean-Claude Ellena, Creative Director of Hermès Parfums