Amandine Clerc-Marie Interview: “Crafting Fragrances Is Neither A Lonely Art, Nor A Straight Line”

When I received news earlier this year that Amandine Clerc-Marie had been promoted to principal perfumer at dsm-firmenich, I wasn’t surprised.

The perfumer has created a steady and substantial body of work since her debut in 2003, with creations that include:

+ Kenneth Cole Black EDP (2004)

+ Jovoy Chypre EDP (2007)

+ Chloé EDP (2008)

+ MDCI Parfums Peche Cardinal EDP (2008)

+ Jaguar Vision EDT (2010)

+ Van Cleef & Arpels Precious Oud EDP (2011)

+ Atkinsons Oud Save The King EDP (2013)

+ Chopard Rose Malaki EDP (2014)

+ Lancôme La Nuit Trésor EDP (2015)

+ Yves Saint Laurent Trench EDP (2015)

+ Sisley Izia EDP (2017)

+ Carolina Herrera Platinum Leather EDP (2018)

+ Davidoff Cool Water Intense For Her EDP (2019)

+ Escada Candy Love EDT (2020)

+ Valentino Voce Viva EDP (2020)

+ Estée Lauder Sensuous Stars EDP (2021)

+ Nina Ricci Nina Soleil EDP (2022)

+ Burberry Goddess EDP (2023)

From earlier wins such as Lui Rochas EDT and Chloé EDP to huge hits such as Lancôme La Nuit Trésor EDP, Amandine Clerc-Marie has made her mark with her customary attention to quality and the all-important hook.

While her finesse with the queen of florals is clear in several creations, I noticed as I was putting this story together, Amandine Clerc-Marie is the queen herself when it comes to vanilla. The ingredient pops up in everything from Lancôme La Nuit Trésor EDP, Mugler Aura EDP and Escada Candy Love EDT to Valentino Voce Viva EDP and Nina Ricci Nina Soleil EDP.

Congratulations on your recent principal perfumer appointment. For those who aren’t in the industry, what does a principal perfumer do?

I create a lot of fragrances for many fine fragrance brands. I meet artists, be they designers or creative directors; I spend time with clients to understand what they’re after.

“A perfumer’s day is a constant quest for inspiration!” – Amandine Clerc-Marie

I also like to spend time with our trainee perfumers as I value the high importance of transmission in our profession. I take part in evaluation sessions during which new qualities or even new ingredients are presented to me. I come up with new combinations. You know, a perfumer’s day is a constant quest for inspiration!

Where did perfumery start for you?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a passion for perfume. My mother worked for a perfume house. Creating perfume seems to be part of my DNA.

My earliest olfactive memories are of my grandfather’s home in Normandy, France, where I wandered freely, discovering the natural world around me. I can still close my eyes and remember the pungent odours of grass and crumpled leaves bordering the garden pond with its wet, humid air – fresh, green and aromatic. I also recall the smell of ripe apples which my grandfather made into his own cider, a scent and taste I still love today.

My own career came about quite naturally. During my apprenticeship, while learning about raw materials, my sense of smell suddenly came to life. At the end of my studies at ISIPCA, I wrote a thesis on modernising the leather note in Hermès Bel Ami EDT and it was at this point that I met Michel Almairac, with whom I worked for more than 10 years at Robertet.

Working with Michel Almairac after completing your studies at ISIPCA must have been a formative experience for you. What do you value most about your time spent with him?

Michel Almairac taught me to work on short formulations, with only raw materials essential in my formula. No superfluous ingredients were allowed. Just like him, I still overdose one or two notes at the beginning of the composition, keeping his practice of starting with something a little bit crazy to affirm a strong stance. But I learned to balance his overdose faster than what I used to.

“He taught me to not be scared of my ideas and to work through the process with confidence and precision.” – Amandine Clerc-Marie

He taught me to not be scared of my ideas and to work through the process with confidence and precision. He taught me everything with kindness and patience, but still with demand.

What was your fine fragrance debut? And how did your career progress from there?

My very first win was a woody-chypre fragrance called Lui Rochas, with Michel, in 2003. The big turning point was then in 2008 with the creation with Michel Almairac of Chloé EDP that instantly became a classic.

Then in 2011, I joined dsm-firmenich and had the opportunity to start working with masters, such as Alberto Morillas, Olivier Cresp and Honorine Blanc, who have been great partners and mentors for me here.

What advice would you give to young perfumers just starting their careers?

I would tell them to demand the best of themselves, stay determined, be diligent and always remain optimistic.

You’ve created several rose-focused fragrances. For example, Chloé EDP (2008), Chopard Rose Malaki EDP (2014) and Sisley Izia EDP (2017). Is this an ingredient you particularly enjoy working with?

Rose is the most fascinating ingredient. Even though she is considered the “queen of perfumery”, it’s true that only the rose can offer such a multi-faceted experience with so many varieties.

Perfumers have never ceased to explore roses and I doubt that will ever stop. Roses have all the qualities that can be expected in a perfume and are themselves one of the most complex perfumes.

Your 2017 co-creation Mugler Aura EDP pushed the boundaries for a designer fragrance and I would imagine it took some time to reach the final version. Was this project more complicated than others?

Indeed, it’s been one of the most complicated creations that I have worked on. We wanted it to be innovative and unique and also extremely powerful.

It was also a huge challenge for our group of perfumers (Daphné Bugey, Christophe Raynaud, Marie Salamagne and Olivier Cresp) to come up with a new proposition after the mythical Angel – a personal favourite – and the blockbuster Alien. It’s in Mugler’s DNA to challenge the world of perfumery with every new creation, which puts a bit of pressure on you!

Burberry Goddess (2023) is a recent success of yours. You used the FirGood technology in its creation. It sounds very technical. Could you simplify it for us?

For Goddess, I used three distinct types of vanilla extraction. The first is a Vanilla infusion, which provides the brightest woody-vanilla possible, then I used FirGood Vanilla for the first time in a fragrance: this innovative technology enables us to extract vanilla without any solvent, obtaining a sweet, rich and animalic vanilla. Lastly, with an absolute, which is darker and richer, gave the fragrance a mysterious, milky aspect.

“Working with FirGood Vanilla for the first time allowed me to express a new story for this iconic ingredient in perfumery.” – Amandine Clerc-Marie

Exploring vanilla was a very inspiring playground. What really interested me about this project was discovering its new facets. Working with FirGood Vanilla for the first time allowed me to express a new story for this iconic ingredient in perfumery. Bringing a totally new vision of vanilla to Burberry was my day-to-day challenge, and I loved it!

I have created the most powerful vanilla overdose on the market. It’s totally new and with a new vanilla extract, dsm-firmenich’s proprietary vanilla FirGood, that makes this creation so unique.

There’s no doubting your technical and creative skills. What other quality do you bring to projects that makes them such a success?

Being a visual person, I start the creation process with raw materials and the desire to pass on a strong olfactory message.

I begin with one or two raw materials to create a specific accord, which should be strong enough to be reworked for months and which will serve as my North Star and the signature of the fragrance. Once I have the initial accord, I surround it with other notes to present different samples to the brand, each representing a strong perspective. Finally, I tweak once more, depending on the brand’s feedback, to craft the finished scent.

Creating fragrances is similar to sculpting. We mould the invisible, working on volumes of specific scents to adjust the overall performance of notes.

It’s important to know that crafting fragrances is neither a lonely art, nor a straight line. We really count on the advice and help of our laboratory team, and often execute many rounds of iterations that push our creative boundaries.

Carolina Herrera Platinum Leather EDP and Burberry Goddess EDP are available in South Africa from selected Edgars stores nationwide.