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.
Great interview, Rich. Fascinating insights as always.
Thank you, Daniel. Glad you found it interesting.