CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Master Perfumer Harry Fremont of Firmenich + Nomad Two Worlds “Raw Spirit” Draw

harry fremont of firmenich

It is an honor to once again feature Master Perfumer Harry Fremont of Firmenich (the world's largest privately owned Fragrance & Flavor company), the multi FiFi award winning perfumer, who we last met in 2011 as part of CaFleureBon's  Behind the Bottle series .  Over the past three years, CaFleureBon Profiles In American Perfumery has brought our readers essays about the lives of many American Perfumers who are changing the olfactive landscape.  Harry Fremont stands out  from all others for the breadth and depth of his multi-faceted work. His career has spanned 26 years and he has composed over 234 fragrances,  across many genres and price points.  Fragrance Expert Michael Edwards greatly admires Mr. Fremont and told me, "Harry Frémont is one of perfumery’s most prolific perfumers. From the start, Harry broke rules: his very first fragrance, NEW WEST FOR HIM, pioneered the Water family. From his imagination have come such blockbusters as ck ONE, Ralph Lauren’s ROMANCE, VERA WANG, JUICY COUTURE and MODERN MUSE".

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Harry Fremont composed ck One in 1994 which is considered to be the first  "shared fragrance for men and women"

His perfumes range from mainstream (New West for Him for Aramis, his first fragrance in 1988, The 2011 FIFI award winning Twilight Woods for Bath and Body Works 2009), to Celebrity (Power by 50 Cent (2009), My Glow for Jennifer Lopez (2009), the 2014 UK Fifi Award-winning Rihanna Nude (2012), Taylor for Taylor Swift (2013);  to Designer (Polo Sport, (1993), ck ONE (1994), Cacharel Noa (1998), Ralph Lauren Romance (1998), Vera Wang (2002) Giorgio Armani Sensi (2002), Juicy Couture (2006), Coach (2007), David Yurman the Essence Collection (2011); to Luxury (Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia (2007), Tom Ford Private Blend Noir de Noir (2007) Tom Ford Private Blend Tuscan Leather (2007), and include Estee Lauder's Modern Muse (2013) and Aerin Lilac Path(2013) to highlight just a few*.  His latest fragrances are a collaboration with  Australian   Nomad Two Worlds, founded by renowned Fashion Photographer and global activist Russell James .  Mr. Fremont has lived in New York City for over 20 years and continues to engage and delight millions of fragrance lovers.- Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

master perfumer harry fremont cafleurebon 2

 

Profile: I was born in Cannes in South of France with its incredible weather and beautiful scenery. My Mom always tried to make me discover and appreciate the infinite beauty of nature. My Dad's extreme talent with his hands for building anything, sculpting, painting…taught me what you can achieve when you are working hard; that anything is possible to create as long as you have the will and the imagination to do it.

young harry fremont

Harry Fremont as a young boy

From the age of five I discovered gardening and the fascination of growing plants and understanding nature, flowers, trees…I discovered the art of creating fragrances a little bit by coincidence in my twenties but today I realize everything was connected by my love of nature. This is the heart of perfumery: nature, imagination and will. I don't see fragrance as intellectual or hard to appreciate.  My supreme goal is to create luminous, optimistic fragrances with quality ingredients that men and women will love to wear; to create fragrances that will make them feel good about themselves and that people around them will enjoy smelling.

HarryFremont ,MASTER PERFUMER FIRMENICH

Master Perfumer Harry Fremont

 On American Perfumery:  American perfumery is full of contradictions.  Although America does not have the long fragrance heritage that Europe has, American fragrance lovers have a much more discerning nose to desire a fragrance that fits and enhances their personal style.  They choose fragrances that integrate with their own lifestyles, as well as the lifestyles of their friends and colleagues. This makes the American perfumery much more interesting and challenging for a perfumer.

perfumers harry fremont and fabrice pellegrin

Harry Fremont with Fabrice Pellegrin, Perfumer Firmenich Paris

It is more about creating scent that people may relate to and may use to enrich their personality, rather than creating perfumes that make them stick out from the crowd. It is a more convivial culture and we create to enhance one's personality rather than try to create a new personality that is different from their own.  As a perfumer working in the American market, I have the fortunate opportunity to work with a widely diverse group of clientele: from designer to commercial to celebrity to hyper-luxury….and of course niche and Indie.  My main source of inspiration is Nature but I believe I have the eclectic, creative mind needed to be as wildly independent in my perfumery as my clients would like me to be!

nomad two worlds raw spirit bijou vert harry fremont

Bijou Vert Nomad Two Worlds

 Indie perfumery is a state of mind and a new reflection on craftsmanship and the amazing quality raw materials that are available today in the perfumer palette. For Nomad Two Worlds, for example, I focused 100% on Vetyver Haiti Oil in order to create Bijou Vert and Citadelle. The N2W team gave total freedom to use this fascinating material, with its raw, earthy, sleek and refined scent, in two different simple and powerful interpretations that were free from the limitations of the marketplace. They approached the project with the ideal to let me valorize what was indigenous to the very nature of the Haitian Vetyver. The olfactive creations of these 2 scents feature the Vetyver oil in overdosed quantities that amplify the singular beauty of this natural ingredient.

desert-mountain-sunset flitner

Desert Mountain Sunset by David Flitner

 Favorite American Artist: David Flitner, an oil painter that studies the beauty of nature's landscape, particularly the American Southwest. Ever since I came to the USA 24 years ago, and may be before that through movies I saw growing up abroad, I have been fascinated by the American West landscape.  David has this amazing gift for capturing fabulous desert scenes with the vegetation, the rocks, the remarkable light, in a very simple, serene and magical way.  I find this very inspiring and it makes me happy to live in this breathtaking country.

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Roy Lichtenstein (L) Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe, 1962 (R)

Other American artists that I admire are Roy Lichtenstein, along with Andy Warhol…the ultimate Pop Artists.  I love the notion of Pop Art: easy to love and understand, with an unmistakable signature, very precise and not serious. American DNA has this very strong dimension of entertainment which explains, for example, the success of Hollywood globally. I think this dimension may be applied in many fields.

–Harry Fremont, Master Perfumer for Firmenich

* A complete listing of Mister Fremont's 234 fragrances was provided to me by Firmenich and are included, by fragrance category, in Michael Edwards Fragrances Of The World Database

nomad two worlds raw spirit desert blush citadelle wildfire bijou vert harry fremont cafleurebon

Nomad Two Worlds Raw Spirit: Wildfire, Desert Blush, Bijou Vert and Citadelle

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Nomad Two Worlds, we have a USA reader's choice of one of the four Nomad Two Worlds Raw Spirit Fragrances (7.5 ml rollerball) composed by Harry Fremont. Wildfire which features Australian Sandalwood,  Citadelle with Haitian Vetiver, Bijou Vert with Haitian Vetiver or Desert Blush featuring Australian Boronia. To be eligible, please leave a comment about what you found fascinating about Mr. Fremont's Profile and your choice of perfume from the four above. This is USA only. Draw closes 5/22/2014.

To learn more about Nomad Two Worlds' artistic collaborations and global philanthropic initiatives that include working with Firmenich and President Bill Clinton click here

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32 comments

  • Jennifer witt says:

    How adorable was that picture of Mr. Fremont as a child? I thoroughly enjoyed this profile and am fascinated by his take on American perfumery. I would love to win the Citadelle, it sounds dreamy.

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    Thank you for the great article on Mr. Fremont. Now I see the common thread behind some fragrances I love. And I see why he loves Daid Flitner. I’d love to try Bijou Vert if given the chance. Thank you!

  • Nemo says:

    I found his comments about American consumers and their attitude toward perfume very interesting 🙂 Also, it makes perfect sense! I would love to try Citadelle, thank you.

  • christinal says:

    What an interesting career. His portfolio is so diverse! I’d love to try Wildfire.

  • Sandi L says:

    I found it interesting on how he describes creating a perfume for the “American Fragrance Lovers”. Creating to integrate and enhance our personalities, loved that. I too am a fan of Flitner, it’s truly impossible not to connect with nature in his paintings. I am in the us and although a tough decision I would choose Desert Blush for my love of Boronia, but also because I love the aroma of the high desert in which I live.

  • Cynthia says:

    I found Mr. Fremont’s comments on the differences in making a perfume for the US market interesting. I didn’t realize that. This line is special to me because for Christmas my son researched online and bought me bijou vert. He liked the tie in with philanthropic works, and he knew I had tons of perfume, but thought maybe I wouldn’t be familiar with this line. He was right! I was impressed. Bijou Vert is lovely, and if I won I would love to try Desert Blush. The name sounds beautiful!

  • silvrolive says:

    Thank you for this profile on Mr. Fremont. I did not know the breadth of fragrances that he has created. It was also great to learn about perfumery for the American public. My choice is Desert Blush.

  • Marcopietro says:

    Interesting interview! I totally agree with Mr. Fremont’s words about what makes the American perfumery much more interesting and challenging for a perfumer.
    I’d love to win Bijou Vert.
    Thanks!

  • Gentiana says:

    I like the concept of Mr. Fremont of enhancing one’s personality through fragrance rather than “inventing another personality”. Finding a pleasure of smell and not an intellectual exercise, integrating and smelling lovely to the ones around versus sticking out of the crowd.
    I will be very grateful to count me in the draw and I will be happy to win Wildfire.
    Thank you!
    I live in Romania, E.U.

  • Merlin says:

    I loved the picture of him as a child! And, found his observation about the American consumer to be interesting… Citadelle sounds intriguing with its vetiver and pear – I would love to try this:)
    (I live in South Africa)

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    So Harry is the one who created the first ever fragrance to use calone in large quantity called New West! in a way, he started the aquatic trend..and what a surprise he also created Tuscan Leather which is quite an artistic capture of a new car’s interior. For this draw, my choice would be Wildfire. I am in the US, more specifically in the same city Harry calls home now 🙂

  • foxbins says:

    It’s so interesting that the US West captivates Mr. Fremont, yet he lives in NYC. His fragrances for N2W sound lovely–I’d choose Desert Blush as I love boronia. I’m in the US.

  • leathermountain says:

    Yes, that picture of Mr. Fremont as a child is utterly delightful. I’m a little confused about what he is saying about American perfume markets, probably because I’ve spent very little time in Europe, but it makes me curious to understand more. I’m in the US and would love to possess some Wildfire! Thanks so much for the profile and the draw.

  • Patty P. says:

    That Mr. Fremont created 234 fragrances is fascinating enough. 🙂
    I choose Wildfire for the draw.

  • Nancy says:

    I just loved this feature. It was thrilling to me to read about an American master and to learn about the genius behind so many seminal fragrances. (Modern Muse gets the most love of any mainstream perfume on the fragrance boards these days.) Also, now I understand why I liked Aerin Lilac Path so much!

    I would love to try Citadelle or Desert Blush. In the US, thanks for the draw.

  • Steve A says:

    Very nice to read about an American perfumer and such an accomplished one. Nice quote by Mr. Fremont, “American fragrance lovers have a much more discerning nose to desire a fragrance that fits and enhances their personal style.”
    The Bijou Vert is the one I’d like to try most after readin. TY

  • taffyj says:

    Wonderful profile of an American Master. This quote resonated with me: “It is more about creating scent that people may relate to and may use to enrich their personality, rather than creating perfumes that make them stick out from the crowd.” Yes!

    I would choose Wildfire or Desert Blush. I am in the U.S.

  • Ferris Égoïste says:

    I love the fact that Mr. Fremont discovered the joy of gardening, nature and perfume at a very early age. I also enjoy reading these perfumer profiles, as I find them fascinating. I would love to try Citadelle if I win the draw. I’ve already liked Cafleurebon American Profiles on Facebook I’m in the US and thanks for this wonderful draw!

  • tomate farcie says:

    I found his choice of favorite American artists interesting, David Flitner to the quintessential Warhol. Not that I’m skeptical but I wonder what he really thinks about the American perfume consumer. If I win, I’d choose Desert Blush. I’m in the US.

  • mim says:

    USA and FB liked already

    I liked reading about Mr. Fremont’s love of nature and gardening–maybe because I still have dirt under my fingernails from today. This spring more than ever I love the scents of yards and grass and flowers and dirt. Also his easygoing, relaxed, feel-good approach to scent make s me think whichever scent one tries would end up being easy to wear.
    Very interested in Australian sandalwood, so I’d choose Desert Blush. Thanks!

  • Carol S says:

    I found it interesting that mr Fremont believes Americans have more ” discerning sense of smell ”
    I wonder what he would say to his Euro or Asian clients .
    Boronia is an expensive and not often utilized note in perfumery and I love it . Therefore I would choose Desert Blush . I must try it !!

  • FearsMice says:

    I really like Mr. Fremont’s commitment to creating “optimistic” fragrances. One can quickly grow weary of the weird and the challenging; indeed, it’s a worthy goal to make fragrances that make men and women feel good about themselves! I would choose Desert Blush. I’m in the US; thanks for the draw.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    I was interested to learn that Mr. Fremont’s has created some of my favorite fragrances over the years (Twilight Woods, Taylor and Vera Wang)! My choice of perfume would be Desert Blush featuring Australian Boronia. I live in the US.

  • Holly F. says:

    I found Mr. Fremont’s work with Nomad Two Worlds fascinating, and I’d love the chance to win Desert Blush. I’m in the U.S.

  • Ginny M says:

    It’s always a surprise to me to see what noses have been behind what classic fragrances, new and old. While I’ve heard Mr. Fremont’s name, I was unaware of his range of creations! I was lucky enough to visit the Nomad Two Worlds booth at the Seattle fragrance salon a few weeks ago, and, although my nose was pretty worn out by then, I tried Desert Blush and loved it — that would be the one I would choose. I live in the US and thanks for the draw!

  • Shore says:

    Mr Fremont has range ! I am a big fan of noa by cacherel at least the original and noir de noir is one of the best in the Tom Ford private label line
    He has a fascinating job working with designers and celebs
    My choice is desert blush
    Thank you

  • sunnlitt says:

    I loved reading that Mr. Fremont’s goal is creating luminous, optimistic fragrances. That is a wonderful description of what captures my heart in a fragrance.
    I would love to try Desert Blush.
    I live in the US.
    Thanks.

  • carol duke says:

    Love this article about artisinal perfumes. My choice would be New West for Him for Aramis,
    ARCHIVE all natural botanical perfumes

  • carol duke says:

    Love this article about artisinal perfumes. My choice would be Desert Blush. I saw them in Sf at the 3rd annual perfume show and thought they were wonderful.
    ARCHIVE Botanical perfumes – all natural, all real, all from nature…