Citrus
Ralf Schwieger
Even though few noses come from Germany, some of this country's perfumers have distinguished themselves in the field of perfumery. Such was the case for Ralf Schwieger. This German, trained as a chemist, is a talented and multifaceted creator. Many best-sellers are owed to him, notably for the houses Yves Saint-Laurent and Frédéric Malle. Ralf Schwieger's first olfactory memories Ralf Schwieger was born in Germany, in a rural region of Westphalia. He recalls this very quiet place, known for its cold, grayish winters. Nothing particularly exciting in itself, even though he grew attached to it. Ralf Schwieger grew up near the forest, surrounded by greenery.
This detail may seem insignificant but has a considerable influence on his approach to perfumery. Indeed, Ralf Schwieger particularly likes mossy and woody fragrances. Very early on, he developed a genuine passion for scents. Likewise, he wondered at a very young age about the absence of scent… For that reason, he liked to bring freshly fallen snow on the trees close to his nose to try to smell it. According to him, a certain purity emanated from it. Thus, the airy and almost fragile aspect of an essence is an essential point not to be overlooked. Over time, he has remained very close to nature and likes to think that perfumery is something primal, almost innate. Most often, Ralf Schwieger finds inspiration in colors or textures. Likewise, insects fascinate him literally, and butterflies are by far his favorites. But let us see what path Ralf Schwieger followed to reach the very top of perfumery…
Ralf Schwieger's career path
Although he always loved scents, Ralf Schwieger only became interested in perfumery as such rather late. Trained as a chemist and coming from a scientific background, he studied in Berlin. Then, he joined the Roure perfumery school, in Grasse, at the age of 30. Afterward, once he had his diploma in hand, he was recruited by Givaudan. It was within this company that he created his greatest successes. As an example, he is also owed L'Eau des Merveilles by Hermès and Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle. For the first of these, he focused on ambergris and tried to create a fragrance with a sensation close to that of salty skin after a swim in the ocean. What is more, this fragrance, entirely devoid of floral notes—which is quite rare—certainly surprised consumers.
Ralf Schwieger is a figure full of boldness and dynamism. He constantly enjoys setting himself new challenges. For this reason, he recently created a set of three essences for Atelier Cologne, taking on the challenge of delivering an extreme freshness while making it sun-kissed.
Creations by Ralf Schwieger
Citrus