Perfumer. Art or profession? ; A unique world that straddles the line between science and art. Nature and the chemistry revolution!
Perfumer and creator of the Greek perfumery JOUR NAPER, George Papachatzis lifts the veil of mystery, guides you through the fragrant universe of famous perfumers and reveals to you through this article the deepest, unspoken mysteries of the profession!
Art or science?
I won’t hide from you that this question has been on my mind for years, ever since I studied in Paris and Versailles, where I had the honour of working with leading perfumers (Dior, Chanel, Molinard, Fragonard, Killian, Byredo, Le Labo, etc.) from the international perfumery scene.
Admittedly, even today it is not easy to answer this question. But to put you straight to the point, I would say that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Above all, perfumery is a combination of art and science. But also much more. Psychology, imagination, knowledge, years of experience, talent, entrepreneurial spirit. And as in my case? An incurable passion. An attitude of life, a 24-hour-a-day occupation. Those of you who have been to Jour Naper Perfumery’s perfumery seminars or have read my interviews, will remember my motto: “A perfumer is born, not made!”
PERFUMERY “ART OR SCIENCE”?
The perfumer or “Nose” is the name of the person who specializes in the creation of fragrances for perfumery and for perfumes that will enrich cosmetics, shower gels, soaps, detergents, even food and beverages. The perfumer, apart from the studies I will talk about below, must first and foremost have the innate fine sense of smell to be able to recognize with his eyes closed, dozens, hundreds or even 3,000 scents! Perfumers have to recognize not only numerous different scents but also combinations of them. As the leading perfumer of the 20th century, Edmond Roudnitska, used to say, a perfumer should get to the point of not just “sharpening” the memory of an odour, but the memory of odours in combinations, otherwise he is just mixing at random. Because “creating a fragrance is a brain function, not a nose function”. This is exactly what I believe as a perfumer. Recognizing is easy, but achieving the aromatic creation you envision is the hard part. Don’t forget that a perfumer must inspire fragrance creations that will be able to evoke a unique feeling, that will make the public feel, that will be identified with our personality, that will bring out our eroticism and our aura, as is the case with Jour Naper perfumes.
FAMOUS PERFUMERS
Most perfumers of the past, including the two leading perfumers of the 20th century, Roudnitska and Jean Carles (founder of the Roure school of perfumery, member of today’s Givaudan and perfumer of the legendary Miss Dior) were self-taught, they did not even have the fundamental knowledge of chemistry or pharmacy, and alongside them were trained ‘noses’ or chemists who today are behind the wheel of the most famous perfumes.
PERFUMERY STUDIES
As for where to study perfumery? Naturally in her hometown, the world capital of perfumery, France, and more specifically at the famous perfumery schools, Givaudan Roure (www.givaudan.com) in Grasse, Provence, where the course lasts for six years, and ISIPCA (Institut superieur International du Parfum Cosmetique et de la Aromatique Alimentaire, www.isipca-school.com) in Versailles, where the course lasts two years (subject to the condition that the applicant has a degree in Pharmacy or Chemistry). In both perfumery schools, aspiring perfumers follow a very high level of training with courses in advanced chemistry, law, psychology and of course scent identification and perfume creation.
Can I tell you a secret? Yes… our profession, beyond the artistic, romantic approaches, is extremely competitive, I would say relentless. Don’t forget that perfumery is also subject to marketing rules. From Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, the doctor and chemist behind the iconic Guerlain house, to Jean Claude Helena, the perfumer of Hermes, their secrets of the art and their endless talent are many times greater than the fragrances in their quiver.
Our work reminds me of that of a long-distance runner. It requires us to work in isolation in our laboratory for long periods of time, to straddle the line between art and science, to hone our sense of smell, memory and imagination, to experiment with hundreds of essential oils and aromatic substances to arrive at the ONE and only! The fragrance that like a magical tornado will stir your senses and awaken in you eroticism, lost self-confidence and the most beautiful memories!
