hey guys. so, i decided about a month ago that i want to work for creed in paris as a master perfumer... but definately need help with learning about colognes and perfumes, EOs and all. i'm trying to secure a job at the fragrence counter at Elderbeermens over the summer to learn more about it. but i want to start as soon as i can...
definately will need some help with this one
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I'd be interested in knowing more about this too. As in, how in the world does someone break into the industry.
I'm no expert, but my guess is the overwhelming majority of the "regular" jobs in the fragrance industry are probably in Grasse, France. I believe no matter who the perfume company is, they are probably sourced from there in some way, shape or form. Grasse seems to be to perfume what Detroit was to cars in the 50s.
Agree with the comment about about chemistry as a background. All of todays scents, even those that tout "natural" ingredients are still very reliant on synthetic chemical compounds to replace ingredients that are both costly and/or rare.
Luca Turin, the most prominent perfume critic is a biophysicist who developed a theory about olfaction. He wrote a book called The Secret of Scent which you may want to look up. Pretty tedious read, but if the science of perfume interests you, it's a good idea to check it out.
There are indeed some U.S. based perfumers like Sonoma Studios, but my guess is that any of the niche or boutique companies are pretty small operations.
I would also guess it's somewhat of an "apprenticeship" kind of pursuit that would require a few years of low pay to learn the modern techniques of an old craft.
Agree with the comment about about chemistry as a background. All of todays scents, even those that tout "natural" ingredients are still very reliant on synthetic chemical compounds to replace ingredients that are both costly and/or rare.
Luca Turin, the most prominent perfume critic is a biophysicist who developed a theory about olfaction. He wrote a book called The Secret of Scent which you may want to look up. Pretty tedious read, but if the science of perfume interests you, it's a good idea to check it out.
There are indeed some U.S. based perfumers like Sonoma Studios, but my guess is that any of the niche or boutique companies are pretty small operations.
I would also guess it's somewhat of an "apprenticeship" kind of pursuit that would require a few years of low pay to learn the modern techniques of an old craft.
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I would read Chandler Burr's books and articles on the scent industry, in particular "The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris & New York" and his March 2005 New Yorker article on Jean-Claude Ellena's year-long creation, in Paris and Grasse, of Hermès' Un Jardin sur le Nil. His book "The Emperor of Scent" may or may not have discussion of the scent industry in it. I do not recall. Whether it does or not you should probably read everything on scents by Chandler Burr and Luca Turin given your interest in this stuff.
I, as others here have opined, would guess that the perfume industry, particularly the actual scent making part of it, is probably about as "closed" a trade as exists in the 21th century. It will help a lot in your getting into it if this is what your Dad did, and his Father before him!
I would also guess that flawless French with the ability to shift effortlessly from a Parisian to a Provence accent and back would be mandatory. Also, perhaps, a fluency in the Provençal dialect of Occitan.
And do not worry that folks in Provence will not accept you as one of them no matter how long you live in Grasse because you are from the United States! They would not accept you as one of them if you were from neighboring Languedoc!
I, as others here have opined, would guess that the perfume industry, particularly the actual scent making part of it, is probably about as "closed" a trade as exists in the 21th century. It will help a lot in your getting into it if this is what your Dad did, and his Father before him!
I would also guess that flawless French with the ability to shift effortlessly from a Parisian to a Provence accent and back would be mandatory. Also, perhaps, a fluency in the Provençal dialect of Occitan.
And do not worry that folks in Provence will not accept you as one of them no matter how long you live in Grasse because you are from the United States! They would not accept you as one of them if you were from neighboring Languedoc!
