November 5, 2025 |
Noses, perfumers, purveyors of unseen trails, call them what you will. They were once hidden, the silent magicians behind the olfactory concoctions that stirred our senses and imaginations. But increasingly, they have stepped into the limelight to become the rock stars of the beauty world, playing their air guitars to create invisible notes that have the ability to shake, transport, reveal and disguise us. We profile five of the best in the business who have fashioned molecules to create famed fragrances for the biggest luxury brands in the world.
clockwise from top: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, Dior L’Or de J’Adore, Loewe Earth Elixir, Cartier La Panthère Parfum and Chloé Atelier des Fleurs Jasminum Sambac
Mathilde Laurent for Cartier
French perfumer Laurent already had a starry career before she joined Cartier as the maison’s in-house perfumer in 2005 and has gone on to create notable hits such as Baiser Volé and establish the house’s haute parfumerie reputation. A version of her huge success, La Panthère – La Panthère Elixir – was launched in November in a refillable bottle.
How would you describe the fragrance DNA of the house?
Creating timeless pieces is important. It is much more difficult [to do that] than follow big trends, which everybody knows how to do. After that, what’s really important is audacity. You can be timeless without being unique. At Cartier, we must always bring something new that renews perfumery a little – something that speaks to the era we are living in. It has been one of my inspirations to create perfumes like a jeweller, which is what I have in mind when I start a new fragrance. I have learned that perfumery is, in fact, olfactory jewellery. I create high jewellery pieces but with nature, with flowers, stems, leaves. It’s like my jewellery is made from air.
Which fragrance are you most proud of?
I’m proud of each one for different reasons. Each has a story. They are all very dear to me for many different reasons. It’s impossible for me to wear my fragrances, but I am very fond of smelling them on other people. It’s always a surprise for me when I smell someone wearing one of my perfumes; it’s like meeting my creation and I discover it as if it were not mine. These are moments of truth.
How does the packaging come together with the fragrance? How much of that informs your brief and how involved are you in that whole package?
It comes, I would say, at the same time, but just after the idea of the fragrance. We think of all these points and then I start to work on the fragrance, with the ingredients, and the packaging team begins to work. This is how we create coherence between the fragrance, packaging, bottle and proportions. Everything is a creative collaboration.
What is your process when creating a fragrance? How much time to do you spend in the house archives looking for inspiration and what else do you look to for creativity?
It depends on the time I’m given and the type of project. In the 20-year history of my being at Cartier, I was never given the same time. It was three years for La Panthère. I’ll have been at Cartier for 20 years this year and I wouldn’t say I know all the archives, but I’ve seen a lot of things and have many books, so I don’t have to go to the archive to remember a piece or an object. We have this incredible treasure of inspiration and this is how you can understand the style of a house.
What makes a fragrance sell?
It’s a mix between something you’ve never smelt before and something that talks to you in your soul. It’s like what people call love at first sight.
What do you love about fragrance?
So many things. The power of perfume, of olfaction, how it moves you, how it can elevate you, how it carries you elsewhere, how it brings reassurance, pleasure. It’s so physical – when you smell something you love, you sparkle.
Why and how did you become a nose?
I loved to smell, loved nature and perfumes. I thought that I could go to an art school for smells. That’s how I decided to enter [the French perfume school] ISIPCA and become an olfactory architect.
What are your favourite smells?
None. If you have preferred smells, you always create the same perfume. A perfumer should never have [favourites]. Could you imagine a painter painting with only the colours he loves? When you are at Cartier, you create with the ingredients that are the best for the house; you have to forget yourself when you enter such a house. That doesn’t mean you don’t keep your great pleasures in life but you mustn’t stay in this status quo.
What is the biggest challenge to creating a new fragrance? In a crowded marketplace, how do you grab and hold attention?
Not be too avant-garde. This is maybe a challenge I don’t always manage as I am totally turned toward nature, simplicity, authenticity. I’m too [far] in advance. I don’t say that to be pretentious, or to say I’ve understood everything. It’s just that nature is so important to Cartier and I would say we were ahead of the era in launching the Les Épures collection and Les Rivières.
How has the fragrance business changed over the course of your career?
It has changed in the sense that people were saying everything has the same smell, [that they] can’t find their perfume. We’ve seen an opportunity for niche perfumery and creativity. Being creative is becoming more and more important.
How do you think the future of fragrance might look?
The public is going to be more demanding and look more at ingredients, ethics and commitment. People are becoming more expert in olfaction. It’s going to be a rush for creativity and commitment. I’m very happy about that.
Cartier’s in-house perfumer, Mathilde Laurent. Photography courtesy of Cartier
Núria Cruelles for Loewe
The Spanish perfumer joined Loewe as its in-house perfumer in 2018. She worked closely with the maison’s former creative director Jonathan Anderson on the collection of nature-inspired fragrances, the latest of which is Earth Elixir.
How would you describe the fragrance DNA of the house?
Nature is our primary inspiration. The essence of Loewe perfumes is deeply rooted in the brand’s core values: a dedication to excellence, appreciation for craftsmanship, extensive research, boundless creativity and savoir-faire. My approach involves incorporating classic perfumery ingredients with a modern twist, using new elements to create contemporary scents.
Which fragrance are you most proud of?
Loewe Earth. I’ve always wanted to work with truffle and this creation allowed me to finally explore that unique ingredient and showcase its captivating aroma.
How do the visuals, the ad campaign and the packaging complement the fragrance? How much does that inform your brief and how involved are you in the overall package?
My role is to translate the creative director’s vision into olfactory creations. Jonathan Anderson designed the flask and packaging, which are important elements I need to keep in consideration in the fragrance-creation process to ensure a cohesive and organic result.
What is your process when creating a fragrance? How much time do you spend in the house archives looking for inspiration and what else inspires you?
Along with nature, the brand’s heritage is a significant source of inspiration. Respecting Loewe’s DNA is crucial. I strive to craft sensory experiences that blend traditional scents with a unique contemporary twist.
What makes a fragrance sell? Has that changed over your career?
The key to success lies in creating fragrances with a distinct character that embodies the brand’s values at an olfactory level. This is our aim at Loewe.
What do you love about fragrance?
The world of fragrance creation is vast and always evolving. We work with a wide array of ingredients to craft unique, innovative aromas. The blending of notes, different accords and essences allows us to create new fragrances that evoke various moods, memories and emotions.
Why and how did you become a nose?
From a young age, I was captivated by the world’s smells. I also discovered I have synaesthesia: the ability to visualise scents as colours and shapes. This led me to study chemistry and then start this professional path.
What are your favourite smells?
Citrus notes and the Spanish rockrose: the DNA of all new Loewe perfumes. I find rockrose particularly fascinating. Its subtle and comforting nature makes it ideal for experimentation. Its essence blends effortlessly with various notes and is deeply connected to Spain.
What is the biggest challenge in creating a new fragrance? In a crowded marketplace, how do you grab and hold attention?
We created the exclusive Loewe accord to give our perfumes a distinctive olfactory signature.
How has the fragrance business changed over the course of your career?
I have noted that the perfumery industry has evolved a lot and changed the spotlight in terms of the structure of the scents. Now we are giving more and more focus to single key ingredients. If, years ago, the goal was to create olfactory bouquets and more complex constructions, such as the fougère [blended] ones, for example, now the goal is to highlight hero ingredients and make them shine inside the full composition.
How do you think the future of fragrance might look?
Changes will undoubtedly come and we will continue to innovate. Perfumery is constantly evolving, which is an exciting challenge that drives our research and fuels the brand’s creativity.
Núria Cruelles’s creations for Loewe fuse innovation, craft and nature. Photography courtesy of Loewe
Francis Kurkdjian for Christian Dior Parfums
In 2021, Kurkdjian, already one of the industry’s most successful noses with a worldwide hit under his belt for Gaultier’s Le Male, landed the coveted role of creation director for Christian Dior Parfums. By then, he had created two of the initial three fragrances – Cologne Blanche and Eau Noire – for the house under Hedi Slimane. Kurkdjian’s work includes L’Or de J’Adore, a reworking of J’Adore. He also helms his own brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, which is part of LVMH.
How would you describe the fragrance DNA of the house?
To me, the house of Dior represents the idea of celebrating women in their era. In addition, it represents French luxury – the house is an ambassador for the French art of living and is a way of approaching life. The legendary kindness of Christian Dior seems like a cardinal value to me and I aim to capitalise on it. I am deeply touched by his genuine and sincere love of flowers and nature, which resonates with me. I aim to celebrate different types of femininity and his vision of an open world. I particularly like this quotation: “My models are all the women of the world.” Of course, this DNA based on femininity also applies today for masculinity.
Which fragrance are you most proud of?
It’s always about the next one. To me, what has been created in the past belongs in the past. I only am interested in what comes next.
How do the visuals, ad campaign and packaging all come together with the fragrance? How much of that informs your brief and how involved are you in that whole package?
It’s a joint effort and I am in constant communication with all the different creative teams at Dior, where we work together on all the different projects and topics.
What is your process when creating a fragrance? How much time do you spend in the house’s archives looking for inspiration and what else do you look to for creativity?
Like Christian Dior, what counts above all for me is the line of the fragrance, its architecture… In other words, what the fragrance smells like from a distance. It’s like an olfactive silhouette. And it’s always my starting point. The creative process also has to be as simple as possible in its expression and it is characterised by a strongly identifiable idea. Next, I convey this ‘allure’ in emotions and in sensations. And only then is it time to compose, choose and blend all the raw materials. I’ve worked like that since I started out. Sources of inspiration can be very diverse, but as I am the perfumer for the house of Dior I engage in a dialogue with Christian Dior, his values and the values of the house.
What makes a fragrance sell?
To share a hint of it, strength – its sillage/trail – is a key factor of success. The other one is its distinctiveness, its olfactive signature.
What do you love about fragrance?
Perfume can give you strength and confidence because it interacts with your emotions and feelings. This is the magic of the scents. It’s invisible yet very concrete emotionally.
Why and how did you become a nose?
I still remember the launch of Poison in 1985: the scent trail in the streets of Paris. My adolescence seems to be bottled inside that perfume. I remember it particularly on the Champs-Élysées. At that very moment, I decided to become a perfumer. It was a true revelation I had at the age of 14 by reading an article about perfumery and perfumers in a magazine. I also watched the 1975 movie Le sauvage with Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve, where Montand plays the role of a perfumer on a remote Venezuelan island. After that, I fell in love with it and told my parents I wanted to become a perfumer. I knew deep inside that it was my vocation!
What are your favourite smells?
The smell of the neck of the person I love.
What is the biggest challenge to creating a new fragrance? In a crowded marketplace, how do you grab and hold attention?
Creation is the challenge itself. People expect so much from you. You must surpass yourself each time.
How has the fragrance business changed over the course of your career?
Thirty years is a generation, and enough has changed to be able to write a book!
How do you think the future of fragrance might look?
As we live in a digital world, I believe we will create some innovations that will allow us to build a bridge between perfume and IT, and of course AI. The future is also and foremost about sustainability and how we are transforming and reshaping the olfactive world based on the new challenges we all are facing.
Francis Kurkdjian, creation director of Christian Dior Parfums. Photography courtesy of Dior
Louise Turner for Chloé Atelier des Fleurs
British-born Turner is a renowned nose who has created for many big-hitting brands, but her work for Chloé includes Jasminum Sambac and Magnolia Alba for the Atelier des Fleurs collection, with each of her luxurious perfumes created around a single flower that can be worn alone or layered together for a personalised creation.
How would you describe the fragrance DNA of the house?
These fragrances embody the free spirit and timeless elegance of the Chloé woman, creating an olfactory experience that is not only captivating and sophisticated but also authentic and natural.
Which fragrance are you most proud of?
One of my favourites is Atelier des Fleurs Jasminum Sambac, as it features one of my favourite raw materials to work with. In general, all the Atelier des Fleurs fragrances that I have created are among my favourites. As you may know, I love working with floral notes and that collection allows me to explore unexpected facets of a well-known flower in perfumery, which brings me incredible satisfaction.
What is your process when creating a fragrance? How much time to do you spend in the house archives looking for inspiration and what else do you look to for creativity?
I start with a little accord of a handful of materials. Of course, I already have an idea of what the association will produce right from the outset, but you never know exactly what the result will be, it’s always a discovery! What’s essential in our profession is the ingredients, as they are a great source of inspiration. I am particularly sensitive to the smells of nature, my garden and flowers. I also like cooking, which can be inspirational. I would say that I’m not really in the world of fantasy; I find inspiration more in very concrete, tangible things.
What makes a fragrance sell?
The key elements are balance and a distinctive signature. I have developed a reputation for my work with floral notes, which I enjoy manipulating and mastering. Overall, I believe that achieving balance in a composition is crucial. I always focus on the aesthetic quality and aim to tell a new story, creating a fragrance that not only invites people to wear it, but also resonates emotionally with them.
What do you love about fragrance?
It is all about exploring ideas and discovering new things. The possibilities are endless, which is what makes our profession so fascinating. Smell remains a mysterious sense that never ceases to captivate me.
Why and how did you become a nose?
I have always had a considerable olfactory sensitivity, but I was unaware of the profession of perfumer. I started studying to become a dentist, then gave up and went back to live with my parents. They lived near a Quest, now Givaudan, [scent] factory and I began to work in marketing there, before being trained as a perfumer. I was extremely lucky. I was artistic, and to marry art and sciences was perfect for me. I spent three years in England before leaving for Paris. I was going to spend two years there, but it has now been 25!
What are your favourite smells?
I would say freshly cut grass, which evokes springtime and its softer air. It always makes me smile.
What is the biggest challenge to creating a new fragrance? In a crowded marketplace, how do you grab and hold attention?
Being a perfumer means being able to create a signature that is appealing and resonates with the wearer – a power, a presence. But there’s no recipe: you never know what’s going to be a success. You have to believe in what you’re doing and not forget that a particular bias can pay.
How has the fragrance business changed over the course of your career?
There has been a growing appreciation for diverse olfactory experiences, with consumers seeking unique and unconventional scents that tell a story. This evolution has encouraged perfumers to experiment more boldly and push the boundaries of traditional fragrance creation.
How do you think the future of fragrance might look?
I would rather not know. I want to be surprised.
British perfumer Louise Turner created Jasminum Sambac and Magnolia Alba for Chloé’s luxurious Atelier des Fleurs range. Photography courtesy of Chloé
Geza Schoen for Escentric Molecules
German master perfumer Schoen has created for Diesel, Ormonde Jayne and Boudicca during his impressive career. He changed the fragrance game in 2006 when he co-founded the independent, unisex fragrance brand Escentric Molecules, which focuses on single molecules, with creative director Paul White. The original fragrance centred on the aroma molecule Iso E Super, which remained unknown outside the fragrance world despite its presence, at low concentrations, in many fragrances. Escentric 01 and then Molecule 01 used Iso E Super at 65 per cent and was an instant cult favourite.
How would you describe the house’s fragrance DNA?
It’s simple, yet elegant and sophisticated. Our scents are woody, not floral, and avoid sweetness or fruity notes. This is rooted in the concept of simplicity, focusing on singular, high-quality molecules rather than complex blends. They are designed to be distinctive but subtle, creating an intimate, skin-like scent with strong sillage that evolves uniquely on each wearer. The brand’s DNA is all about elevating the raw beauty of molecules, offering a modern, unembellished approach to perfumery.
Which fragrance are you most proud of?
I’m particularly proud of Escentric 01 and 02. Escentric 01 was created as a skin scent, something I wanted for myself. It’s woody, balsamic and powdery, but without any sweetness. It has an enormous sillage and evokes that ‘you just want to lean in closer’ feeling. Escentric 02 stands out for its unique freshness and impressive longevity. Escentric 05 excites me as well because it offers a truly alternative summer fragrance.
How do the visuals, ad campaign and packaging tie in with the fragrance? How involved are you in that process?
Let’s take Escentric 05 as an example. Paul and I are in constant dialogue about who we are as a brand and where we’re headed. For Escentric 05, I explained my vision for an alternative summer scent. We discussed colours and shapes we both associated with that idea and Paul then came up with the initial concepts, which we refined together until it felt just right.
What is your process when creating a fragrance? Do you spend time in the house archives looking for inspiration?
We don’t really have a house archive. Our inspiration for Escentric is driven by the molecules themselves. Take Molecule 04 as an example. It’s built around Javanol, a unique sandalwood molecule. It has a wicked sandalwood note compared to other similar chemicals, but it also carries hints of grapefruit and rose. So, for Molecule 04, the trio of sandalwood, grapefruit and rose was a natural progression.
What makes a fragrance sell, and has that changed throughout your career?
A fragrance must always smell great, and that will never change. However, consumers now place more importance on sillage and longevity. While subtlety was once valued, today’s market leans towards powerful fragrances. That said, our success lies in striking a balance – we create scents that are long-lasting but still subtle, which sets us apart as an alternative fragrance house.
What do you love about fragrance?
I love how it interacts with the wearer, enhancing their aura. There are some incredible examples within my circle of friends where a scent perfectly complements a person. When it fits, it’s magic. Of course, there are some questionable scents out there too, and it makes me wonder what people are trying to achieve.
Geza Schoen, the co-founder of Escentric Molecules and creator of its cult fragrance Escentric Molecule 01. Photography courtesy of Escentric Molecules
Top image: photography by Rikki Ward. Taken from 10 Magazine Issue 75 – BIRTHDAY, EVOLVE, TRANSFORMATION – out on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
