Nathalie Lorson

The perfumer's craft fascinates and intrigues. Indeed, it is reserved for only a handful of people in the world, 70% of whom are French. This is because the world capital of perfumery lies in the Mediterranean basin, in the heart of the city of Grasse. Grasse has been famous for its scents since the 16th century and has, since then, seen the birth of many perfumers. Nathalie Lorson hails from this emblematic city and could not escape her preordained destiny…

Perfumery, a family story

Nathalie Lorson grew up in Grasse, alongside a father who worked as a chemist for the company Roure, a creator of raw materials for perfumery. Her father would have her smell scents, and Nathalie Lorson learned to recognize them. It was a game from her childhood. Following in her father's footsteps, she decided to enroll at the Roure school, wanting, like him, to work with perfumery raw materials. And while this field has since become more feminized, at the time she showed real boldness. She set herself the challenge of becoming a woman perfumer, which was still quite uncommon. Fresh out of school, she began her career at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), where she achieved her first major successes such as Dolce & Gabbana pour Femme and Chloé Innocence. Then, starting in 2002, she joined Firmenich, in Paris. The rest, one already knows: it can be found in every corner of the perfume aisle. Indeed, Nathalie Lorson created the scent of Satine, Perles and Amethyste by Lalique, Fame by Lady Gaga, Sicily by Dolce & Gabbana, Kate by Kate Moss, as well as the famous Black Opium by Yves Saint-Laurent.

Nathalie Lorson's acting talents

Like every perfumer, Nathalie Lorson admits to putting a little of herself into each of her creations. She takes real pleasure in working on fragrances where houses grant her great freedom. However, she is sometimes required to create fragrances that do not necessarily reflect her own sensibility. In this respect, she sees herself as a kind of actress, stepping into the skin of a brand and immersing herself in a project far removed from her spontaneous affinities. Among all raw materials, Nathalie Lorson loves working with rose, musky notes and vetiver. On the other hand, she has little appreciation for overly pronounced animalic notes, which she considers outdated. For her, sensuality is a realm best played with subtlety.

While Nathalie Lorson possesses extraordinary creativity, she also admits to enjoying sharing her work with teammates. In her view, this is an essential factor in a perfumer's success. Indeed, being a nose is a profession driven by passion, but also by tension. Sharing a creation allows her to feel more relaxed while gaining genuine enrichment. It is an essential ingredient for broadening the range of possibilities and for glimpsing olfactory avenues she would never have dared imagine on her own.