The French fragrance maverick corrected the course of the luxury perfume industry with his gifted nose
From Saint-Germain-des-Prés to Central Park, Frédéric Malle is celebrated for his knowledge in composing elegant scents. Hailed as the publisher of scents, his unique gift was inherited from his maternal grandfather, Serge Heftler-Louiche, founder of Parfums Christian Dior and his mother, the former artistic director of Parfums Christian Dior.
Embracing the idea that a perfume can be a luxury, a timeless object, his love of scents and vision prompted him to launch his own brand, Editions de Parfums.
Frédéric Malle introduced Editions de Parfums in 2000, and it's a highly novel concept where he invited the world’s greatest noses to create exclusive fragrances that would be sold under their creators' names. In an era when most companies attach more importance to brand names, Malle brought attention back to the product itself, the perfume.
We caught up with Malle recently on the art of perfumery and his success.
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What’s your first ever fragrance memory?
I don’t think that I have one in particular, but I remember the smell of cut grass in Biarritz, the smell of the ocean, the smell of the Paris metro, and the smell of burning fires in the mountains at night. I also remember the smell of my parent’s apartment, which I tried to copy from memory when making a home scent called Café Society.
Who do you have to thank for your success today?
Perfumers, without a doubt.
What was it like growing up with such a creative family in the industry?
Growing up, I was aware that perfume existed at a very early age, and I was always told that perfume creation was a serious business where you had to be creative and never cut corners when it came to quality. Apart from that, which is already enormous because it defined my future life, my childhood was extremely normal.
See also: How To Gift, Wear & Understand Perfume: Notes From Christian Dior’s Master Perfumer