Creation in the perfume world

Creating a perfume is difficult to describe, because words cannot adequately evoke a scent. And yet language is at the heart of this creative process. Words enable the perfumer to classify fragrances according to various aspects, such as intensity, warmth and degree of complexity. Words also enable him to evaluate fragrances and to make them memorable. Terms like 'woody' or 'milky', influence the perfumer when he is inventing a new perfume. Jean-Claude Ellena explains that one creates a perfume from our memory of fragrances. At Hermès he has developed his own style which is natural and simple, and therefore in contrast to the diktats of the perfume market. He has abandoned all consumer tests of his creations and decides the price of his concentrates himself. Such freedom is rare in this business, but it is justified by the success of his perfumes.