There’s no more joyful feeling than discovering a new fragrance to call your own. From niche artisan perfume creators to designer brands, sustainability has become a key consideration when creating the ultimate personal signature. Rescu discovered the latest trends and houses that are leading with sustainable and chic practices with Fragrance expert Michael Marzano, National Education Manager for Agence De Parfum.
Rescu: What is driving organic sourcing departure from synthetic materials?
Michael Marzano: The green, ethically sourced raw material revolution is triggering the new phenomenon toward clean,paraben-free, chemical-free raw materials that are safe to use, and avoid harmful chemicals that are now being highlighted. Natural oils last longer, perform better on the skin, and the fragrance evolves in a far more individualistic way than a two-dimensional synthetic variant.
Rescu: Who are the leaders in sustainable fragrance brands, and what is their history?
Michael Marzano: Hermetica was founded by Clara Molloy, a Parisian Catalan poet and her husband John, a sporty Irishglobetrotter. Over the last 15 years, they have explored and experimented with fragrance-making, always with the ambition to challenge convention through creativity.
For Hermetica, they came across a completely new way to make fragrances-a new way to be green that they hadn’t been explored before. It took more than 2 years to create this formula, thanks to an intense collaboration between Clara and the senior perfumers Aliénor Massenet and PhilippePaparella.
“Hermetica represents a new approach in the making of fragrances that combines nature and chemistry. Powerful scents, gentle on the skin, respectful of the environment, mixing history and modernity” as said by Hermetica co-founder Clara.
Hermetica is a collection of clean fragrances inspired by the ancient Florentine practice of alchemy. Applying their practice to modern-day perfumery, Hermetica is shaped around the belief that finding the perfect fragrance relies on the connection between the precious molecules within a fragrance and one’s skin.
In their quest for the ultimate fragrance elixir, Clara and John decided to create a revolutionary collection by using a combination of the best from nature and molecules when chosen instead of a natural counterpart to preserve it: a conscious step towards making sustainable and green fragrance creation possible
Rescu: Does you feel that organic sourcing, sustainable practices are a trend or the future of fragrance?
Michael Marzano: Absolutely the future. With the rising awareness of the impact of unethical farming methods and the unsustainability of mass farming, brands are turning more and more to fairly traded, artisanal farming methods.
Rescu: Who are the other powerhouses of sustainable fragrances?
Michael Marzano: Obvious, by David Frossard, is a new luxury perfume brand that combines simplicity with elegance, and elegance with respect. While Obvious is completely motivated by transparency, recyclability and accountability, make no mistake, the brand epitomises luxury, savoir-faire, generosity, and beautiful complimentary creations that are simple yet eminently complex. When it comes to concentrates, Obvious favours natural ingredients but does not shun synthetic ones. We have chosen to use organic dilution alcohol, recyclable bottles made from recycled glass, cork caps with no plastic inserts, and boxes made from recycled paper and naturals dyes. Fragrances include; Une Rose, Un Musc, Un Bois, Un Fleur D’Oranger.
Matière Premiere’s primary dedication is to the precious raw materials from around the world. They are at the heart of the work of Aurélien Guichard, a 7th generation perfumer, who offers a contemporary approach to the French creation of high-end perfumes. At the beginning of the creative process of each fragrance is an original idea, embodied by an overdosed raw material, then faceted by the composition work of the perfumer. Fragrances include; Radical Rose, Parisian Musc.
Since its launch in 2010, ‘Not as Perfume, Juliette Has A Gun’ has been a continuous success and is today one of the icons of the brand. Nota Perfumeis an exception in perfumery as it has the particularity of containing allergens.The new ancillaries: Room Spray, Candle, Shower Gel, Hand Cream, and Hair & Body all contain the hypoallergenic ingredient Cetalox, derived from Ambergris.
