Rodrigo Flores-Roux

When perfumery is discussed, it is most often said to embody the elegance of French style. This is only natural, since perfumery is part of French heritage and the country is considered its world capital. Other regions, however, are less characteristic of this field. Thus, although Mexico is rich in tropical woods, peppermint, and tobacco leaf—ingredients dear to many perfumes—it is not exactly emblematic of the art of perfumery. That said, this has not stopped it from giving us one of the best perfumers on the planet: the celebrated Rodrigo Flores Roux.

The studious and artistic childhood of Rodrigo Flores Roux

Rodrigo Flores Roux was born in Mexico City and lived there until the age of 20. Coming from a family of three children, he was always encouraged to learn by his parents, both figures in the scientific field. Thus, Rodrigo Flores Roux has always enjoyed expanding his knowledge and describes himself as naturally curious. Nevertheless, it is to a twist of fate that he owes his current expertise. Indeed, when he was eight years old, his television broke down. He did not receive a new one until 10 years later! Although the situation particularly frustrated him at the time, he now admits that it was the best thing that ever happened to him. To pass the time, he opened books and became passionate about art history. He realized at a very young age that he wanted to become a perfumer. In fact, Rodrigo Flores Roux has been collecting perfume bottles since the age of 13. At the age of 18, he heard about ISIPCA, a renowned perfumery school located in Versailles. Eager to join it, he studied biology at the national university of Mexico City. He was then accepted into ISIPCA and arrived in France in 1989. He began his career at IFF before joining Quest, now Givaudan, in the late 1990s. To this day, he remains part of that company.

Rodrigo Flores Roux's love of citrus

Today, Rodrigo Flores Roux is nicknamed “the king of citrus.” Bergamot, mandarin, orange, lemon, grapefruit—so many elements that continue to appear in his perfumes. Nevertheless, he also enjoys working with incense, jasmine, and labdanum. On the other hand, he is not fond of overly sweet notes and never uses cumin in his compositions. Rodrigo Flores Roux is to date the only Latin American perfumer to have studied fine perfumery in a formal setting rather than as a self-taught practitioner. Indeed, 70% of noses are French, and Rodrigo Flores Roux says he is particularly proud of his path.

Although Rodrigo Flores Roux at times considered other careers such as architect or historian, perfumery always asserted itself to him as an obvious choice. He has worked for houses such as Clinique and Aedes de Venustas. Nevertheless, it was at Tom Ford that he truly seems to have excelled, notably creating the perfumes Sahara Noir and Private Blend.