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Perfumer viewpoint Insight: Fragrance creation Scent speak BW Confdential talks to four perfumers about the state of fragrance creation and what they would like to see change by Alissa Demorest Firmenich senior perfumer What main olfactory trends lie ahead? Christophe Raynaud CR: Gourmand notes are now an established olfactory family. In the past, they were criticized for being a bit gimmicky, but they are evolving with more natural notes. Gourmand is becoming more “noble“—the category is growing up. At Firmenich, we’re working on more fruit or foody notes based on natural raw materials. Processes, such as our Fir-Ad technology, are helping us in this area, allowing us © Blaise Lavigne new ingredients for the perfumer. to extract scent from fruit purees, for example. This opens up a host of AM: We are immersed in the gourmand, fruity trend even more than Givaudan senior perfumer before, and this doesn’t look like it will change. Consumers are asking for these fragrances, so I don’t see it as a passing trend. Antoine Maisondieu Fragrances have deepened in character over the past few years. We are very far removed from the more “diaphanous“ scents of the late 80s; the signatures are stronger today. However, while fragrances today may be more powerful and aggressive, they are clearly of a lower quality. It’s similar to what is happening in the accessories market—a young consumer wants to invest in a handbag, but she doesn’t really care whether it’s leather or nylon. The perception of quality isn’t the same. The younger generation doesn’t care if they are smelling a rose absolute or patchouli—they want punchy fragrances. EC: In terms of trends, oud has taken on importance and is now Symrise senior perfumer frmly established. More generally, I believe the niche market has Emilie Coppermann greatly infuenced and educated consumers, and has given rise to expectations for more quality fragrances. Women and men are also sharing fragrances more, just as there is a trend for layering, which allows for more customized scents. BD: I’m not the best person to ask about trends, as I deliberately distance myself from being infuenced by what is happening in the market. Gourmand notes have taken precedence in the mainstream market and there is also a trend towards more foral notes, such as a return to the rose. But on the whole, I don’t see much creativity, just a continuation of what already exists. Technico Flor perfumer We’re also seeing certain notes becoming recurrent in niche Bertrand Duchaufour products, so repetition is happening in that segment as well. How do you see the trend for high-end niche fragrances evolving? CR: The niche market has helped major brands return to using more naturals, which is a good thing. This means that I can use natural notes in larger amounts than would have been possible in the past. Fragrance collections use a maximum amount of natural ingredients 38 September-October 2014 - N°19 - BW Confidential