September 2020 - fragroom

2020 has affected us all in many ways. For perfumer Christèle Jacquemin it’s been one of highs (her debut perfume, Christèle Jacquemin Impermanence, was nominated in The Art and Olfaction Awards 2020 in the Artisan category), frustrations (postponed plans and travels) and adapting to the new normal.

Christèle Jacquemin returned to France after 18 years in Spain and is now based in Valliguières, a village near her hometown of Avignon. Since the launch of her company almost a year ago, the 48-year-old has started making a name for herself with her multi-sensory approach to fragrance.

Her debut collections – Impermanence, Meandering Soul and Underworld – feature photographic artwork (the starting point of her creative process), an EDP, home fragrance oil and artisan soap. Look out for my review of Christèle Jacquemin Impermanence on my Instagram page (@richgoller).

Image: Supplied.

In this interview, Christèle Jacquemin talks about inspiration, running a business and the award nomination.

How and why did you get into perfumery?

By accident. I was working in France for a consulting firm, with all my colleagues travelling mainly to Africa, and my job made it difficult for me to travel. So I looked for another job that would make that possible.

I found a job opportunity in southern Spain where they were looking for an area sales manager for Africa. This company is in the fragrance and flavour industry. I was lucky enough to be hired.

Image: Supplied.

Where did you train? And what was the most important thing you learned there?

I have been in this industry for the last 20 years. I trained first with all the customers I met. I knew nothing about perfumes. What I learned is that it is quite a complex product to sell. Actually you do not sell, customers buy from you. There is no way to convince them when they do not like a smell. We all smell differently, and that’s okay.

“There is no way to convince customers when they do not like a smell. We all smell differently, and that’s okay.”

After spending 17 years in the same company, I quit my job and trained at Cinquième Sens in Paris to learn how to make perfumes. It was quite a thing to add this knowledge to my ground experience.

MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE: Meandering Soul III is one of Christèle Jacquemin’s photographic artworks. Image: Supplied.

When did you officially launch your company? As a creative soul, do you enjoy running a business?

I officially launched my brand in October 2019, which corresponded with my first multi-sensory exhibition in Avignon. It took me a couple of years to get everything set up. I trained to get basic knowledge in running a business. The idea behind all this is to keep on travelling. I really focused on starting in the best possible conditions to make that possible.

Image: Supplied.

How has the coronavirus situation affected you, personally and professionally?

Personally, I have not been affected hopefully. But professionally, all the olfactive workshops and exhibitions scheduled from March to September have been either cancelled or postponed. But in the end, all this available time has been quite productive in a different way.

Travel is a popular source of inspiration in perfumery, but you also bring photography to the mix. How do they inspire you?

Photography is a means of expressing my mood. I might be in China, but what I photograph is how I feel at that precise moment. It’s also a way of removing myself from the present. I can be elsewhere in an imaginary world. I love to feel this way.

“I can be elsewhere in an imaginary world. I love to feel this way.”

You were so generous to send me your award-nominated Impermanence. I chose it as the name spoke to me in the current Covid situation. Using it as an example, tell us more about your creative process. Are you more of a technical or intuitive perfumer?

I am an intuitive perfumer. What I try to transmit in the fragrance are my travel sensations. I travel with my camera and a notebook. They are the base of my inspiration to create the scent of the travel. For Impermanence, I wanted to convey a state of well-being I felt while there [Jinze, a town in the suburbs of Shanghai], as well as important smells that remind me of the trip like ginger and green tea.

Congrats on the Art and Olfaction Awards 2020 nomination. Who was the first person you shared this great news with?

My father. I was amazed by the news and incredibly happy at the same time. It gave me energy to keep on working hard.

Are you able to share some of your plans with my readers?

I am currently working on three new collections based on my travels before Covid-19. Ideally, I’d like to release them in November.

For more information on Christèle Jacquemin, visit the company website.

Several months ago I did a round-up on best rose perfumes to show the variety on offer. Since then, I have felt the need to add these three classic rose fragrances. Each one is a standout in its own way and different from the others featured here.

Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose EDP

Most of us know that Frédéric Malle celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year. For any company that’s an achievement, but for the Paris-based niche fragrance house it’s a recognition of the quality and creativity that’s become its signature. This standard was evident from the get-go in the launch collection that included Lipstick Rose, Musc Ravageur, Noir Epices and Une Fleur de Cassie.

A NOSE FOR TALENT: Frédéric Malle spotted the beauty of Lipstick Rose in a competition. Image: Frédéric Malle.

According to the brand’s website, this Ralf Schwieger (Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine, Hermès Eau des Merveilles, Mugler Womanity) creation came into being after an early version captivated a blind-folded Monsieur Malle in a young perfumer talent competition. We can thank Malle for his astute instincts, as Lipstick Rose is now an integral part of the brand’s superb quartet of classic rose fragrances: Portrait of A Lady, Une Rose and Rose & Cuir. You can read my review of Une Rose here.

Inspired by a “star’s moment of privacy at her dressing table with her lipstick”, it’s suitably glamorous and vintage-y, yet thoroughly modern at the same time.

A slightly sweet and fresh violet is offset by the bitter citrus of grapefruit. The powderiness of the violet is accentuated by the star of the show and iris. The dynamic between the rose and raspberry is technically brilliant. Each brings out the fruity rosiness in each other in a most beautiful way. It’s subtly sweet, supremely elegant, and finished off with musk and vanilla in the later stages of the perfume’s progression. Sensual doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Available at Skins Cosmetics South Africa.

Amouage Lyric Man EDP

Since its founding by the sultan of Oman in 1983, Amouage fragrances have developed a devoted following. A succession of top-quality releases inspired by the best of the Middle East and Western perfume traditions include Amouage Epic, Amouage Interlude and Amouage Jubilation XXV.

“‘It can take a lot of the credit for persuading the more open-minded that rose fragrances are for men, too.”

Launched in 2008 and created by the relatively low-profile Daniel Visentin, Amouage Lyric Man has gone on to become one of the company’s best sellers. And for good reason. It can take a lot of the credit for persuading the more open-minded that rose fragrances are for men, too. (Why are designer brands still so hesitant to showcase roses in all their beauty?).

It’s resolutely robust from the top, featuring citrus-infused lime and bergamot. That freshness gives way to a big boy rose that’s given a musky boost by a generous dose of angelica. Where would Amouage Lyric Man be without its oriental swirl of frankincense? Its smokiness is not shy in making its presence felt, sometimes overpowering the sandalwood and musk in the drydown. On my skin this EDP has an almost soapy quality, part of its ample charm.

I don’t judge a fragrance on its longevity and sillage, but I reckon some of Amouage Lyric Man’s popularity is down to its potency, which appeals to the “beast mode” brigade.

Available at Skins Cosmetics South Africa.

Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocadéro EDP

Founded by Yuri Gutsatz in 1975, the Paris-based brand can justifiably claim to be one of the pioneers of niche perfumery, along with L’Artisan Parfumeur. After his death in 2005, the maison declined and eventually ceased to operate.

Realising the treasure trove they had at their disposal, Yuri’s son, Michel, and his wife, Clara, relaunched the company in 2016, with perfumer Maxence Moutte recreating fragrances from the Russia-born perfumer’s original formulas. You can read my interview with Michel and Clara here.

Of the three classic rose fragrances in this post, it’s the most natural smelling. Which should come as no surprise – Le Jardin Retrouvé means “the garden refound”.

There’s a green, softly fruity intro featuring blackcurrant buds. The rose itself is all about the petals and the best Bulgarian rose absolute is used to create this effect. Clove can be a bossy note, but here it adds just the right amount of contrasting and complementary spiciness. The drydown – woody and musky – completes the nostalgic mood.

“Rose Trocadéro is a personal and quiet experience. It’s one to wear when you want to keep a rose all to yourself.”

As with all Le Jardin Retrouvés, Rose Trocadéro is a personal and quiet experience. It’s one to wear when you want to keep a rose all to yourself.

Available on the brand’s website.

Month: September 2020