Olivier Polge

Who is Olivier Polge?

Olivier Polge came from a background in art history. He then began his career working at Charabot, a factory located in his hometown of Grasse specializing in the processing of ingredients for perfumery. Indeed, it was not easy to steer away from the path of perfumer when born in the Grasse region to a father worldwide renowned for his talents as a nose. So he continued along this path and joined International Flavors and Fragrances in New York in 1998. Five years later, in 2003, he returned to France within the same group and signed his first personal creations, including the famous Dior Homme, born in 2005. From then on, Olivier Polge was regarded as a true creative genius, awarded the Prix International du Parfum in 2009 for five of his creations. Continuing on this momentum, Olivier Polge took part in creating numerous fragrances now celebrated worldwide, such as Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf, La Vie est Belle by Lancôme, or Répetto by the eponymous brand. It was in 2013 that he joined Chanel Parfums alongside his father, before succeeding him as exclusive nose in 2015.

Olivier Polge at Chanel

Far from being seen as a perfumer who owed his position to favoritism, Olivier Polge is regarded by his peers as one of the most talented figures in perfumery worldwide. Barely 40 years old, it is indeed to his professional qualities that he owes his unanimous recognition. Endowed with numerous strengths, Olivier Polge is a sensitive, bold and discreet man. Nevertheless, Olivier Polge has managed to forge a temperament situated halfway between his convictions and reality. As he explains, previously he was very starry-eyed, and would arrive with formulas dosed at 80% sandalwood, which is completely unrealistic. He states that he still has the same dreams, but that he is more pragmatic. Constraint exists everywhere and most often proves enriching. But one always ends up creating things that resemble oneself. One cannot create by going against one's own tastes, which does not exempt one from taking risks.

Thus, Olivier Polge took the risk of following in his father's prestigious footsteps. His ambition today is to immerse himself in the rich past of the Chanel house while giving it a touch of modernity. He thus intends to take ownership of an extraordinary historical wealth, far from being burdensome, but rather enriching and highly inspiring.