Read Online The Diary of a Nose by Jean-Claude Ellena - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jean-Claude Ellena
Ads: Link
even when I twist its characteristics by omitting citrus essences, which are traditionally indispensable to this form of expression. It was in this spirit that I constructed
Eau de gentiane blanche
around white musk – the name given to synthetic musk – by substituting the age-old olfactory signs for hygiene and cleanliness that are citrus fruits with those of today: white musks.
When I am creating the Hermessence perfumes – a collectionsold exclusively in Hermès stores – I behave like an artist, with the raw material becoming a symbol for an idea. With these perfumes, although the names refer to the raw material used, the idea is to create something realistic (I like that word: the solid ‘real’ and the approximate ‘istic’), that plays on realities and appearances, and acts as a good definition of my work.
Cabris, Tuesday 11 May 2010
Journalists’ questions
Not a week goes by when I do not receive an interview by email. Apart from questions relating to the launch of a perfume, inevitably a brand new one, there are recurring themes: questions about the future, fashion, trends, upcoming launches, sources of inspiration, personal experiences, how to create a classic perfume (which I interpret: ‘a perfume that stands the test of time’), how to choose and store perfume, the raw materials I use and, lastly, my likes and dislikes.
I have not always responded to interviews very willingly. As a young perfumer, they made me uncomfortable. My nose buried in a bottle, engrossed in my work, I didn’t know how to reply. As I have matured, I have opened up to this sort of exchange, taking pleasure in the questions I am asked, seeing them as another opportunity to think about what I do, to take a step back and to hone my craft. Now I wait greedily for the one question that I cannot answer straight away, the one I will keep hold of or write down in order to think on it at greater length. Sharing information in this way deepens my love of perfume.
I like to think that when the ‘beauty’ press and blogs give information and share their knowledge about perfume, the general public becomes more susceptible to this form of expression. By understanding what they smell, by placing perfumes the better to discuss them, perfume enthusiasts share their pleasure and create the conditions for an addiction to perfume.
Cabris, Wednesday 12 May 2010
An ordinary day
Thank goodness, I also have ordinary days. On these days, I arrive in the office at about 8.30 in the morning. Anne has already rolled up the metal shutters on the large bay windows, and switched on the computers, the photocopier and the coffee-maker. Over a coffee, we discuss the tasks for the day, and any imminent visits, if visits there are to be.
Once at my desk, I start by evaluating the previous day’s work on test blotters. I repeat this evaluation process with freshly dipped blotters. I make a note of the alterations, changes in proportions and increases or decreases in raw materials. To keep a sense of perspective, I work on three or four themes at once. I work out what I am going to do on paper. I prefer paper because it gives me an overall view of a formula and means I can make annotations in pencil. I leave it to my assistant to calculate costs and check that my work complies with current standards, which she does on her computer when the information is needed. When the final modifications have been made, I give her the formulae. While she gets the various elements together and sets the production process in motion, I screen my emails, read those that have escaped the deleted bin, and reply to written interviews. The only interruptions to my work will be a few telephone calls with Pantin, where the Hermès offices are located.
Once the trials have been made, I unscrew the bottles, sniff them and dip the ends of blotters into them. I smell trials withone long inhalation lasting several seconds, hunched over the bottle to be at one with the perfume. I
Eau de gentiane blanche
around white musk – the name given to synthetic musk – by substituting the age-old olfactory signs for hygiene and cleanliness that are citrus fruits with those of today: white musks.
When I am creating the Hermessence perfumes – a collectionsold exclusively in Hermès stores – I behave like an artist, with the raw material becoming a symbol for an idea. With these perfumes, although the names refer to the raw material used, the idea is to create something realistic (I like that word: the solid ‘real’ and the approximate ‘istic’), that plays on realities and appearances, and acts as a good definition of my work.
Cabris, Tuesday 11 May 2010
Journalists’ questions
Not a week goes by when I do not receive an interview by email. Apart from questions relating to the launch of a perfume, inevitably a brand new one, there are recurring themes: questions about the future, fashion, trends, upcoming launches, sources of inspiration, personal experiences, how to create a classic perfume (which I interpret: ‘a perfume that stands the test of time’), how to choose and store perfume, the raw materials I use and, lastly, my likes and dislikes.
I have not always responded to interviews very willingly. As a young perfumer, they made me uncomfortable. My nose buried in a bottle, engrossed in my work, I didn’t know how to reply. As I have matured, I have opened up to this sort of exchange, taking pleasure in the questions I am asked, seeing them as another opportunity to think about what I do, to take a step back and to hone my craft. Now I wait greedily for the one question that I cannot answer straight away, the one I will keep hold of or write down in order to think on it at greater length. Sharing information in this way deepens my love of perfume.
I like to think that when the ‘beauty’ press and blogs give information and share their knowledge about perfume, the general public becomes more susceptible to this form of expression. By understanding what they smell, by placing perfumes the better to discuss them, perfume enthusiasts share their pleasure and create the conditions for an addiction to perfume.
Cabris, Wednesday 12 May 2010
An ordinary day
Thank goodness, I also have ordinary days. On these days, I arrive in the office at about 8.30 in the morning. Anne has already rolled up the metal shutters on the large bay windows, and switched on the computers, the photocopier and the coffee-maker. Over a coffee, we discuss the tasks for the day, and any imminent visits, if visits there are to be.
Once at my desk, I start by evaluating the previous day’s work on test blotters. I repeat this evaluation process with freshly dipped blotters. I make a note of the alterations, changes in proportions and increases or decreases in raw materials. To keep a sense of perspective, I work on three or four themes at once. I work out what I am going to do on paper. I prefer paper because it gives me an overall view of a formula and means I can make annotations in pencil. I leave it to my assistant to calculate costs and check that my work complies with current standards, which she does on her computer when the information is needed. When the final modifications have been made, I give her the formulae. While she gets the various elements together and sets the production process in motion, I screen my emails, read those that have escaped the deleted bin, and reply to written interviews. The only interruptions to my work will be a few telephone calls with Pantin, where the Hermès offices are located.
Once the trials have been made, I unscrew the bottles, sniff them and dip the ends of blotters into them. I smell trials withone long inhalation lasting several seconds, hunched over the bottle to be at one with the perfume. I
Similar Books
