Perfume creation companies

Today, most fragrances are associated with the name of a brand. In most cases, this is the name of a luxury label or a major House of Haute Couture or Haute Jewelry. Nevertheless, even though these houses imagine and finance the creation of new fragrances, they are not the ones who actually formulate the perfumes. Only a few groups, such as Shiseido, have their own laboratory. Many other brands therefore turn to perfume creation companies. Today, composition houses are numerous, and some are particularly renowned, such as Firmenich, IFF, Givaudan, Robertet or Mane. These companies support their clients as best they can and guide them toward creating ever more avant-garde fragrances. Perfume creation companies are constantly analyzing trends. First, they study the brief provided by their clients and create samples for them. Naturally, quality controls are carried out to verify the stability of the scent supplied and its color upon application. After the brand's approval and the selection of a sample, the perfume is manufactured within their laboratory before being marketed worldwide.

Firmenich

Firmenich is a family-owned perfume creation company that pioneered the world of fragrance. It was founded in Geneva in 1895 and is now among the leaders of the perfumery industry. Firmenich is a major creation house recognized for its sense of innovation, its attentiveness to trends and its unmatched expertise. Furthermore, Firmenich spares no expense in providing the best of perfumery to its clients. Indeed, every year, an investment of 10 % is made in research and development. Firmenich has one single ambition: to make every fragrance and aroma a unique sensory experience, a moment of emotion to be shared every day around the world, by elevating the best that nature has to offer.

Givaudan

Givaudan is also a Swiss company that operates in the perfumery and flavor industry. This company is among the most important in the country and ranks among the top 30 stock market values in Switzerland. It was founded in 1895. Furthermore, Givaudan is not content with being merely a perfume creator. The house also has a school that is among the most renowned in the world in this field. Since the early 2000s, Givaudan has continued to expand. In 2002, the company acquired FIS, a division of Nestlé specialized in flavors. On November 22, 2006, Givaudan also announced the acquisition of Quest International, which allowed it to increase its sales by 42 %. Finally, note that Givaudan is committed to a sustainable development approach. In 2014, this house launched the Givaudan Foundation as well as a network collection program for patchouli called the Innovative Naturals program.

International Flavors and Fragrances: IFF

International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) is one of the most innovative companies in the world in the perfumery sector. It now employs 6,700 people and is recognized for its keen attentiveness to consumer trends, its boldness finely driven by substantial research and development, its creative expertise and its extraordinary know-how. This company, 125 years old, never stops exploring new materials and new creation techniques. IFF is a house of passionate creators constantly seeking new challenges to tackle. IFF has built a particularly strong corporate culture centered on four core values: passion, creativity, expertise and autonomy. Every day is seen as a unique opportunity to make people around the world dream while standing out from other competitors; that is the recipe for such longevity.

The noses of the great houses

Nevertheless, not all major luxury brands turn to these creation houses. Indeed, some of them have their own laboratory and what is called an in-house perfumer. In other words, they have a designated nose who creates the entirety of their fragrances. Also, while perfumer-creators remained anonymous for many years, they are now considered true stars of the luxury world. Thus, the most famous among them enjoy worldwide renown and are considered safe bets in perfumery.

Olivier Polge at Chanel

Currently, the nose at Chanel is Olivier Polge. He joined this great creation house at barely 38 years old. Thus, he succeeded his father, the essential Jacques Polge, an emblematic figure of the Chanel house. Nevertheless, he owes this position only to his talent and is recognized by his peers as a supremely gifted perfumer. He notably worked on olfactory creations for Dior, Viktor & Rolf and Balenciaga. He then set himself the challenge of extending the sillage of the emblematic Chanel n°5 and rejuvenating certain emblematic fragrances such as Coco Mademoiselle or Allure pour Homme. We owe him, for now, the creation of Misia and Chance Eau Vive, perfumes of absolutely exquisite harmony.

Thierry Wasser at Guerlain

Thierry Wasser, for his part, is known for his unique and singular style. Moreover, he is the first perfumer at the house of Guerlain not to bear the house's name. He therefore did not earn his place through blood, but through talent. This sensitive, refined, elegant and charming man displays extraordinary authenticity. He works in the manner of a craftsman and is endowed with astonishing olfactory faculties. It is therefore a true honor for him to have been entrusted with the very famous Book of Formulas, a secret work passed down from generation to generation within the Guerlain family. His ambition is to further elevate Guerlain's precious heritage while adding his own personal signature. We owe him notably the perfumes Idylle, Habit Rouge L'Eau, Shalimar Parfum Initial and of course the emblematic Petite Robe Noire.

François Demachy at Dior

Within the house of Dior, perfume creations have been entrusted to François Demachy since 2006. He came from 30 years spent at the house of Chanel, where he worked alongside Jacques Polge. He is a lover of travel and music, an admirer of feminine beauty and a visionary at heart. It is through all of this that he draws his inspiration. François Demachy is an artist who wonderfully combines authenticity and the strong heritage of the house of Dior while perpetually striving to surprise. He is a skillful blend of boldness and creativity combined with mastery of the traditional art of perfumery. Thus, he states that he perpetuates the visionary heritage of Monsieur Dior himself: to do the best possible and never be satisfied. We owe him notably the famous perfumes Miss Dior, Dior Addict Eau de Toilette, Dior Homme, Eau Sauvage Cologne and the latest Sauvage.

Jean-Claude Ellena at Hermès

Jean-Claude Ellena is a perfumer who has worked for Hermès since 2004. He enjoys creating his perfumes in a pine forest near Grasse. That is where his workshop is hidden. Like a writer of scents, he needs to recharge in order to create without being disturbed. He confides that his perfumes are born from a complete intellectual process. For him, a perfume is read like a novel. Furthermore, he denies himself no luxury in the choice of his raw materials. His compositions thus contain iris, sandalwood, and more. To him we owe a great many masterpieces of perfumery. Within the house of Hermès, he notably created the fragrances Un Jardin sur le Nil, Elixir des Merveilles, Kelly Calèche, Un Jardin après la Mousson and the emblematic Terre d'Hermès, the brand's essential best-seller.

As one will have understood, nothing seems too extravagant for perfumery, and perfume creators are now considered artists in their own right. Moreover, they frequently have to handle custom orders that can reach staggering sums of around €40,000. However, as one might expect, this price also includes a bottle, a jewel cut from Baccarat crystal and adorned with gold or precious materials. Undoubtedly, perfume is now more than ever a luxury product.