FRANK VOELKL Archives

IMAGE: Firmenich.

The last time I chatted with Frank Voelkl, I instinctively knew he would enlighten me about the importance of synthetics in modern perfumery. So I turned once again to the New York-based perfumer to find out more about the intriguing (and often secretive) world of captive molecules.

IMAGE: Firmenich.

Who created the decade-defining Le Labo Santal 33 EDP (2011) and helped kick-start the Ariana Grande fragrance empire with Ari EDP (2015)? That would be the German-born perfumer. He’s also the creator of the fragrances below, among others:

+ Dunhill X-Centric EDT (2001)

+ Kenneth Cole Reaction EDT (2004)

+ Sarah Jessica Parker Covet EDP (2007)

+ Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar EDP (2011)

+ Ermenegildo Zegna Florentine Iris EDP (2012)

+ Paris Hilton Dazzle EDP (2012)

+ Gucci Bamboo EDP (2015)

+ Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Amber Sun EDP (2017)

+ Glossier You EDP (2017, in collaboration with Dora Baghriche)

+ Hugo Boss Hugo Now EDT (2020)

+ Kilian Roses On Ice EDP (2020)

+ Boy Smells Marble Fruit Cologne de Parfum (2021, in collaboration with Hamid Kashani )

+ Aedes de Venustas 16a Orchard EDP (2021)

+ Abercrombie & Fitch Authentic Self Man EDT (2023)

+ Ellis Brooklyn Florist EDP (2023)

Before we get to the actual interview, some general background info on the workings of perfumery: The fragrance (and flavour) industry is dominated by several multinationals: Firmenich (Switzerland), Givaudan (Switzerland), International Flavors & Fragrances (America), Symrise (Germany), Takasago (Japan), Mane (France) and Robertet (France).

These corporates have a vast array of ingredients (naturals, synthetics and increasingly biotechnology) to be used by their perfumers.

IMAGE: Ariana Grande Fragrances.

What fragrances do you wear?

I like to wear different fragrances for different moments and occasions. For example, I wear Le Labo Santal 33 when I go out because it’s rich, warm, has a lot of signature and it’s my way of making a statement.

When I am on vacation, I wear Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Profumo. There is a nice balance of freshness and woody elegance, but it still feels casual.

When I travel and board a plane, I wear Hermès Terre d’Hermès as it has such a nice presence and I will smell myself more than anything or anybody else around me.

Where did perfumery start for you?

It really started for me when I was living in Paris as a teenager in the Eighties. I discovered my passion for fragrance and learned there are actually people who create them called perfumers. That sparked my desire to pursue this career.

IMAGE: Ellis Brooklyn.

When you studied at ISIPCA, were you aware of the existence of captive molecules?

I wasn’t aware of that back then, as my focus at the time centred on imprinting any molecules and natural ingredients into my olfactive memory. It was only once I entered a fragrance house (my first employer was Haarmann & Reimer) that I started understanding how powerful captive ingredients can be.

IMAGE: Hugo Boss.

What was your fine fragrance debut?

My first real debut in fine fragrance was when I succeeded in creating Tiare de Chantecaille EDP in 1997, which was right around the time when the first niche brands started emerging.

I had the opportunity to meet Sylvie de Chantecaille who was getting ready to create her brand. She was looking for an exotic floral fragrance, got hooked on tiare and the fact that I had a personal connection to this iconic flower from Tahiti (my wife is from there and I go to the island almost every year since I met her 30 years ago), we decided to work on this fragrance together around it.

IMAGE: Chantecaille.

Without going into too much technical detail, how would you define captive molecules? And what are some of the most well-known examples?

A molecule is considered captive when a fragrance house such as Firmenich discovers a new fragrance ingredient that is only made available to their own perfumer team rather than being sold to a competitive fragrance house. That means it is exclusively used in fragrances from Firmenich, created by Firmenich perfumers.

In addition, when a team of scientists discovers a new molecule, it will protect it with a patent to avoid any other company copying or manufacturing that same ingredient. So it’s a powerful concept, as captive means exclusive.

MUGUET RELEASE: The lily-of-the-valley synthetic Muguissimo. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Eventually, captives will be released, for example, when the patent has expired and so then they can be taken and recreated. We can decide as a company if we want to release some of our captives to others. Some great examples of captives that we have released in the past are [the lily-of-the-valley synthetic] Muguissimo (2022) and [the aquatic synthetic] Cascalone (2020).

AQUA INNOVATION: The synthetic Cascalone. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Are they becoming more important in the creation process?

Captive molecules, as well as captive natural ingredients, have always played an important role in my creations, especially because Firmenich has quite a few captive ingredients available to their perfumers.

They have become more important in recent years as transparency is on the rise and consumers are more interested in the content and the origin of the ingredients used in their products.

Are captive molecules synthetic or natural ingredients?

Captives can be both. They can be molecules / synthetics, or they can be natural ingredients.

Firmenich has a molecule research centre in Geneva, Switzerland, and a Naturals Centre of Excellence in Grasse, France, which both work on finding the next new captives.

Captive Molecules - Calvin Klein Eternity For Men Parfum

IMAGE: Calvin Klein.

Are you incentivised to use Firmenich captive molecules in your creations?

Yes, and the biggest incentive is to have a fragrance creation that nobody outside of Firmenich would be able to recreate. We all know there are some market products out there inspired by previous existing creations, and so using captives allows perfumers to have unique formulas that are not easily copied.

“Using captives allows perfumers to have unique formulas that are not easily copied”

As perfumers, we naturally want to use them in our creations, as it gives us a competitive advantage and edge when we work on projects both for hedonics and for performance.

Captive Molecules - Ariana Grande Mod Blush EDP

IMAGE: Ariana Grande Fragrances.

You’ve created several fragrances for Le Labo. For example: Iris 39, Santal 33, Ylang 49 and Thé Noir 29. And Ariana Grande Ari is one of your many other successes. Did you use any Firmenich captive molecules in their creation?

Sorry, I cannot really share all that information, but I can assure you that almost every single one of my creations will likely contain at least one or two captives from Firmenich in the formula.

That said, here are a few recent creations containing captives, but as they are captives I can’t name them all… Ariana Grande Mod Blush EDP (2022) contains Dreamwood. Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Parfum (2022) contains one of our most recent captives. Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP (2021) contains four captives (two naturals, two synthetics).

I’m seeing the International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) captive molecule Cashmeran everywhere. Does Firmenich have an equivalent captive molecule?

Cashmeran was indeed originally a captive from IFF, but it has been available for anyone to use for quite some time since 1983. It’s certainly unique in its character and is still trending. It’s not biodegradable, though, so we may see the end of it soon.

Firmenich has its own iconic molecules, such as Muscenone Delta or Helvetolide [both synthetic musks].

ICONIC MOLECULE: The synthetic musk Helvetolide. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Could you tell me how you used a specific Firmenich captive molecule in one of your most recent creations? What did it bring to the composition?

Dreamwood is one of the latest Firmenich captive molecules stemming from our biotechnology research, a milestone in our ingredient advancements.

Natural sandalwood oil has become so rare that I got really excited to be able to use a natural sandalwood note like Dreamwood in a sustainable way. I have used it since the moment it was available to us in 2020. I love the incredible creaminess and comfort it adds to my creations. On top of that, it has benefits beyond its scent such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and soothing effects.

IMAGE: Firmenich.

Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP and Santal 33 EDP are available in South Africa from Skin Cosmetics.

Image: Firmenich.

I recently had the opportunity to interview natural perfumer Douglas Little about his work. There was also a lively discussion on Undina’s Looking Glass about natural, synthetic and “mixed media” perfumes. All of which prompted me to get going on an interview with Frank Voelkl, which I’d been wanting to do for a long time.

Something told me he would be helpful in providing valuable insights on the role of synthetics in modern perfumery. The New York-based senior perfumer at Swiss fragrance and flavour company Firmenich took time out of his busy schedule to answer the questions I emailed him.

Image: Firmenich.

Before we get to those enlightening answers, a quick overview of the work of Frank Voelkl. He has earned major respect for creations and co-creations such as:

Alfred Dunhill X-Centric EDT (2001)
Kenneth Cole Reaction EDT (2004)
Sarah Jessica Parker Covet EDP (2007)
Zirh Ikon EDT (2008)
Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar EDP (2011)
Ermenegildo Zegna Indonesian Oud EDP (2012)
Paris Hilton Dazzle EDP (2012)
Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Amber Sun EDP (2017)
Hugo Boss Hugo Now EDT (2020)

Image: Fragrantica.

Of course, Frank Voelkl is most famous for his work for Le Labo. He has produced the decade-defining Santal 33 (2011), Iris 39 (2006), Ylang 49 and Thé Noir 29 (2015), among others, for the NYC-based niche fragrance company.

Image: Le Labo.

Where did you study perfumery and what was the most important thing you learned there?

I did a bachelor in Chemistry in Germany and then got a degree at ISIPCA in Versailles. I always remember what the legendary Edmond Roudnitska [creator of classics such as Dior Diorissimo, Hermès Eau d’Hermès and Rochas Femme] told me during his class: “Never lose track of where you want to go with your creation and always keep the goal, what you want to achieve in mind.” It’s easy to get “distracted” when you create.

NICHE PARTNERSHIP: Frank Voelkl has created several fragrances for Le Labo.

Would modern perfumery exist without the use of synthetics / molecules?

Absolutely not. The introduction of molecules in perfumery in the late 1800s launched modern perfumery. Just think about Chanel No 5 (1921), which wouldn’t exist without its aldehydes. Dior Eau Sauvage by E. Roudnitska (1966) wouldn’t exist without Hedione. The use of molecules really allowed us to discover new paths in modern perfumery.

Image: Fragrantica.

What role do synthetics play when you’re creating a fragrance?

Molecules have always co-existed in my creations together with natural ingredients. They are equally important and both add beauty to a fragrance.

“If you were to compare perfume creation with the art of painting, using a molecule is comparable with drawing a precise line.” – Frank Voelkl

If you were to compare perfume creation with the art of painting, using a molecule is comparable with drawing a precise line. The use of a natural, which typically is a more complex and faceted ingredient, is similar to the use of a large brush stroke. Which means that molecules often have a more linear character and are more singular in smell. I use them exactly for that reason – to introduce a very particular note into my creation. Molecules also allow us to introduce notes that do not exist in nature and to explore uncharted olfactive territories. They are essential for innovation.

For example, when creating Gucci Bamboo, I used a particular molecule which added a very delicate green note recognisable throughout the fragrance, which I could not have achieved in the same way with a natural ingredient.

Image: Fragrantica.

You’ve created a number of fragrances for NYC-based niche house, Nomenclature, including Adr_rett, Holy_wood and Psy_Cou. What was the attraction of working with the founders, Karl Bradl and Carlos Quintero?

Karl and Carlos had approached me a while back, inviting me to work on their new brand Nomenclature. Given my enthusiasm for molecules and the fact that Firmenich has a large number of captive molecules, it made a lot of sense to me.

Karl and I actually met a few years earlier working on a project together, and we immediately seemed to understand each other well. Of course, the fact that Karl and I both have our roots in Germany is an added bonus. It has been a great pleasure working with Karl and Carlos since the beginning, and am happy to collaborate with them on their beautiful brand.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Carlos Quintero and Karl Bradl of Nomenclature, which showcases exclusive molecules in perfumery. Image: Nomenclature.

Referring to Nomenclature Psy_Cou, which showcases coumarin. tell us about the beauty of this molecule and its influence on modern perfumery.

I still remember smelling coumarin for the first time in my life when it was presented to me as one of the first raw materials from the ingredient training at ISIPCA. It’s creamy, almondy and, to me, immediately triggered a sensation of comfort.

First used in Fougère Royale by Houbigant, it has since had an important role to play in men’s fougère structures, but has also made its way into many women’s fragrances. It is present in nature as well, in many aromatic essential oils or in hay extract, for example.

Image: WorthPoint.

Which recently created molecule are you particularly excited about and how have you used it?

We have a few recent captive molecules at Firmenich that are very exciting olfactively, a new floral aldehydic one, in particular, that I use for an aquatic transparent, yet powerful women’s fragrance. Sorry, but I can’t tell you more about it than that.

In recent years, there’s been increasing consumer demand for natural ingredients in beauty products, including fragrances. Is this a good thing for perfumery? And ultimately for the environment?

I’m glad you ask this question because I think that there is a really important message that consumers need to know. As much as anything natural is perceived to be good for you and anything synthetic as inferior, the use of molecules in most cases is way safer and more sustainable than naturals.

“The use of molecules in most cases is way safer and more sustainable than naturals.”

If all fragrances were made only of naturals, our world supply would be exhausted quite rapidly. In addition, any ingredient used in fragrances, naturals or molecules, is tested before use and has to pass the same standards.

Image: Ermenegildo Zegna.

What will be the major trendS in perfumery this decade?

Starting a decade with a major pandemic has certainly had a great impact on perfumery trends. Consumers have an increased desire for comfort, safety and feeling clean. They’re increasingly looking for fragrances that make them feel good and like to know the source of the ingredients used in fragrances. Sustainability and social impact are also important factors influencing consumers in their choices. Olfactive trends will align with these criteria.

Le Labo and Nomenclature fragrances are available in South Africa at Skins Cosmetics.

Tag: FRANK VOELKL