pErfumErs
Angeline Poubeau Leporini
During a holiday trip to Egypt, I realized at 17 years old that I wanted to enter the world of perfumery. I visited a factory that distilled essential oils from roses, a raw material I fell in love with. This revelation led me to complete a Bachelor of Science in chemistry followed by a Master’s degree at ISIPCA.
After my studies, I worked as a Trainee in Grasse, in a fragrance house renowned for its expertise in natural ingredients. Under the tutelage of a Senior Perfumer, I discovered the importance of natural raw materials in fragrance creation and how we need to preserve and protect them as they could disappear from one day to the next.
My colleagues described me as `methodically creative,’ which I guess is a good thing to be, as long as a result is delicate and subtle and leads to a win. Approaching a project with academic rigor while remaining a bit of a poet at heart has served me incredibly well on personal care projects. This does not preclude me from also working with passion on fine fragrance briefs. The accords I create on fine fragrance projects often become an inspiration for personal care perfumes and vice-versa. I recently discovered, for instance, that gourmand accords, traditionally used in personal care, show their depth and impact in fine fragrances. No matter the category, as long as the inspiration is there.
Emilie Bouge
Emilie Bouge is a perfumer working for fragrance company Charabot in Grasse. She comes from a family of perfumers, like many of her colleagues. Although she had initially wanted to major in mathematics and physics as an undergraduate, she decided afterwards that perfumery was her real calling and graduated from the school of perfumery ISIPCA. Her favorite notes are: woods, sugar and spices. She confesses to a predilection for orientals. She likes: sports, urban culture, nature, rock, English literature, introspection, serious topics and last but not least, candies!
Koray Sevinç
I have always loved smelling everything around me. I have many strong memories of scents that have been part of my life, such as my grandfather's garden full of fruit trees, flowers and various vegetables that gave me the most unforgettable olfactive memories on my olfactory journey. I've always had a passion for perfume because smelling was a pleasure for me. I decided that I want to be perfumer and it was my biggest dream.
Maïa Lernout
Maia Lernout is a fine fragrance perfumer at Takasago in France. Raised in Paris and summering in the South of France she fell in love with nature and studied perfumery at ISIPCA. She is known for her bright floral fragrances and her love of working with natural materials.
Jérôme di Marino
Born in 1987 in Haute-Savoie, he grew up in Nice. Interested in art but a scientist at heart, he chose to earn a three-year degree in chemistry after secondary school. He discovered the ISIPCA by chance, successfully applied and graduated in 2010 after an apprenticeship at Givaudan beside Nathalie Cetto. Jérôme then spent one year in Givenchy’s fragrance department evaluating submissions by fragrance companies – an ideal position for this naturally personable young man who was delighted to meet all the industry’s professionals. In 2012 he came aboard Takasago as a “Trainee Perfumer” beside Francis Kurkdjian for two demanding and unforgettable years during which he perfected his skills. Jérôme participated in the Black by Daniel Hechter project, which received a FiFi award in 2015. Since 2017 he has become a perfumer and creator in his own right, driven to prove the people who trusted him that they made the right choice. Meanwhile, art is still a part of his life, an undercurrent to each day and centre stage in his work with niche brands.
Nathalie Feisthauer
As far as she can remember, Nathalie has always had a passion for scents. It was when she discovered Opium by Yves Saint-Laurent that her vocation became obvious: she was to become a perfumer. The Roure (now Givaudan) perfumery school - Grasse is the most prestigious perfumery school. In 1983, Nathalie, with her passionate and outgoing character, was the first trainee without a perfumery family background to integrate into this program. At the time, new trainee came from Grasse only. Perfumery remained a family tradition, almost a guild. New–York, Nathalie’s career takes off at Estée Lauder: She immersed herself in the American style, energy, fun, and “hooks”. This cosmopolitan spirit enriched her and increased her artistic creativity.
Commercial brands and alternative niche brands like Etat Libre d’Orange (Putain des Palaces) or iconic brands like Hermès (Eau des Merveilles) and Cartier (Must for Men), are all dear to Nathalie. Nathalie has always loved creating for such a diversity of brands.
For over 30 years, Nathalie was a leading perfumer in major companies like Givaudan (1983-2008) and Symrise (2008-2014). Today, Nathalie is writing a new chapter as an independent perfumer: freedom, 360° contact, sincerity, and passion are again meaningful. Montmartre is where she created LABscent and set up her independent lab in an ancient art gallery. Building on her international reputation and landmark perfume creations, Nathalie composes ever more creative scents for the most exclusive international niche brands in America, Dubaï, Russia, and Europe, as well as over 30 other countries.
She subsequently received several awards for her creations, such as the perfumer of the year FIFI award in 2019, Exclusive Niche for Nomenclature – fluo_ral in 2019, the price of Best Newcomer with the launch of the Sous le Manteau collection in 2020, the cosmétiquemag Selective Distribution-Niche perfumery bronze award for Burdin – Amoroso and the Customer Choice - Niche Fragrance FIFI Award with L'ORCHESTRE parfum - Electro Limonade in 2021.
The NOZ
and
THE_N0Z is an AI/human hybrid perfumer born in 2022. With the guidance of a master perfumer, suggestions of an AI with propriety dataset, and access to a lab with extensive material library, THE_N0Z is able to push the boundaries of perfumery. The symbiotic relationship between the human and AI elements allows for exploration of new forms and connections in perfumery, while continuously learning from each other. The duo particularly enjoys taking on projects that blend traditional and progressive elements.