Artists & Perfumers: 106 posts

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.

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.

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. …

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“I’ve not even told anyone in the company this but somebody at our factory at Pantin was going to throw away a lot of old papers. We have a conservatoire, a private museum where we keep lots of Mademoiselle’s possessions and archives, and the person responsible for that went to see what they were going to throw away. Included in the papers were old formulas that Mademoiselle Chanel created, like Une Idée and 1940 – very old fragrances that nobody remembers and I have to see what can be done with those in the future,” says Jacques Polge, the in-house Chanel nose, in an interview to Alison Kerr.

Doesn’t that sound exciting! Read the rest of the article. Thank you to Tammy for the link.

To say that Sophia Grojsman is responsible for a revolution in perfumery is an understatement. Her unique vision ushered in a new style of fragrances that broke with the traditional classical forms. 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.
At the time, when fragrances were created using several hundred components, she started composing scents, the main accord of which weaved only four to seven ingredients. And in those few masterfully selected strokes she was able to conjure images and sensations that were previously rarely experienced. From Yves Saint Laurent Paris to S-Perfume 100% Love, Sophia Grojsman’s creations are marked by a sensual silkiness recalling flower petals and a luscious softness that does not compromise the strong and confident character of her fragrances. After all, they are created by a woman whose strength and dedication to her work are not in conflict with her warmth and generosity.

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