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Jérôme Di Marino

Drawn to art but a scientist at heart, this native of Haute-Savoie raised in Nice opted for a degree in chemistry after his baccalaureate. By chance, he discovered the existence of ISIPCA, applied there, and graduated in 2010 after an apprenticeship at Givaudan, with his perfumery mentor, Nathalie Cetto. Jérôme di Marino then spent a year in Givenchy's olfactory evaluation unit, assessing submissions from composition houses. An ideal position for this young man naturally drawn to others, and delighted to meet the whole profession, whose personalities and talents he could then appreciate. In 2012, he joined Takasago as Trainee Perfumer alongside Francis Kurkdjian. Two years in the shadow of his mentor, but also in his light, with a rigor and perfectionism he is unlikely to forget. Jérôme worked on the Black project for Daniel Hechter, crowned with a FIFI award in 2015. And so it began. Since 2017 he has been a full-fledged creative perfumer, eager to prove to those who trusted him that they were not mistaken. As for art, it is still there. Woven into his daily life, and standing out in his work with niche houses.

The nose Jérôme Di Marino answers your questions

My olfactory memory

Marrakech and the souks, orange blossom and spices, the atlas cedar boxes with that woody, dense, almost animalic smell.

My travels

Sri Lanka this year, those magnificent landscapes of terraced crops in the mountain region, the tea, the cardamom.

My inspiration

The Soulages exhibition at the Centre Pompidou. This artist devoted his life to a single theme, black, with a creativity, a depth, a density...

My cult fragrance

Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent, which my father wore. A real cliché of masculinity, very animalic, addictive. My mother wore Diva, it was a cacophony in the car...

My color

White, an absence of color but a symbol of purity. It is also the perfumer's blank page, which is not anxiety-inducing, but rather fulfilling.

My dream

To travel around the world taking all my time, to enrich myself through encounters, to watch people live, to build beautiful memories for myself, backpack on my back.

My motto

Everything comes to those who wait. This craft requires time, and a great deal of patience.

My favorite raw materials

Tonka bean: I am a fan of oriental fragrances in general. A rich ingredient, hay-like, creamy, chocolatey, chic gourmand... I use it a great deal in my fragrances.

Cistus Labdanum: found in the Amber 83 accord, a Laire base used for Shalimar. Cistus alone constitutes an extremely rich palette.

Bitter Almond: the smell of Cléopâtre glue, a regressive pleasure, a very French cultural reference. It is the olfactory calisson!

Jérome Di Marino, a rising star of modern perfumery

Becoming a perfumer is far from easy. In fact, it is a profession destined for very few chosen ones in the world. As such, newcomers to the field are rare. Yet Jérôme Di Marino is one of them. He is the protégé of the great Francis Kurkdjian and currently ranks among the rising stars of perfumery. He is gradually opening up a very promising future for himself and is among the personalities to watch.

The career path of perfumer Jérôme Di Marino

Jérôme Di Marino followed a rather traditional path to becoming a perfumer. Born in 1987 in Annemasse, Haute-Savoie, he first earned a degree in chemistry in 2008. He then joined the most prestigious perfumery school in the world: ISIPCA in Versailles. There, he completed a work-study program while working at Givaudan. He learned a great deal alongside Nathalie Cetto. Then, in 2011, he joined the olfactory evaluation unit at Givenchy perfumes and worked in collaboration with Françoise Donche. Barely a year later, he was hired by the Japanese company Takasago, where he was trained for three years by Francis Kurkdjian, a decisive encounter.

Francis Kurkdjian, mentor to Jérôme Di Marino

Jérôme Di Marino readily admits that he owes a great deal to Francis Kurkdjian. This master of olfactory material notably taught him to justify the place of every aroma in a fragrance. According to him, no scent should be there by chance. Jérôme Di Marino has thus made it a habit to find a coherent justification for the use of every ingredient. If he cannot find good reasons, it simply means that raw material does not belong there. Besides Francis Kurkdjian, Jérôme Di Marino also admits to particularly appreciating the work of Olivier Polge, who in his view brings a breath of modernity to perfumery.

Travel and music as sources of inspiration

Naturally, Jérôme Di Marino has his own little tricks for creating his fragrances. He admits to being in the habit of working with music on. He also enjoys working in collaboration with other people. According to him, it is interactions that move a fragrance forward. He states, however, that he sometimes needs silence to be able to express his own point of view. At the same time, Jérôme Di Marino also explains that travel is for him an inexhaustible source of inspiration. He enjoys losing himself in markets, discovering aromas and flavors there, and devising new accords. From this comes his particular love of vanilla and spices in general. Jérôme Di Marino also appreciates orange blossom and the distinctive freshness of lavender. As for olfactory notes he does not like, he always strives to work with them differently to bring out their best.

The olfactory creations of Jérôme Di Marino

Agatha: Balade aux Tuileries - Amouroud: Lunar Vetiver - Carven: Carven L’Eau Intense (co-created with Francis Kurkdjian), Carven L’Absolu (co-created with
Francis Kurkdjian) - Daniel Hechter: Black (co-created with Francis Kurkdjian), Signature Hechter Malt Cuiré - Elie Saab: Le Parfum In White - Kenzo: Kenzo World Power
- MCM: Orris, Incense, White Tea - Molton Brown: Suede Orris - Morgan: Black by Morgan, Red by Morgan, White by Morgan - Panouge: Perle Rare Intense (co-created
with Francis Kurkdjian) - Pedro del Hierro: Pedro del Hierro, PDH Eau Fraîche, PDH Intense, PDH Le Parfum, PDH Peonia - Pepe Jeans: Pepe Jeans London For Him -
Première Note: Ambre Kashmir, Aura Tonka, Himalayan Oud, Tasman Santal - Scorpio: Noir absolu EDP - Sézane: L’Eau Sézane - William Hunt: Oud de Parfum.

Creations by Jérôme Di Marino