The past few days had left me dazed and confused. In House perfumer? Leaving L'Artisan Parfumeur and Penaligon's? COMING …GOING? (no pun intended re: La Petite Mort) It boiled down to a miscommunication of what an in house perfumer meant. Master perfumer and friend- in- fragrance Bertrand  Duchaufour clarifies his multiple positions, projects and explains why he is in the mood for Aoud.

 

Bertrand when I last interviewed you in October 2010 in NYC, you hinted you would be taking on more projects. Since then we have seen fragrances for Parfums MCDI, Marc Atlan and Frapin. What were the challenges and inspiration for each?

BD: For Frapin, the team wanted to evocation direct of the cognac scent and the atmosphere of a cognac brand. For MDCI, Claude Marchal gave me all freedom I need and I worked on one of my favorite flowers : the osmanthus. For Marc Atlan, the brief  for La Petite Mort was precise and focused on the female odor after the orgasm… it was clear and direct.

 

The 800 lb gorilla.  Will you leave your Atelier at L’Artisan Parfumer?

BD:   I AM NOT LEAVING ! ! !  No, L’Artisan Parfumeur and Penhaligon's give me all their trust for working upon any project of any brand I want, as long as I  keep everything  separate and that my projects with other clients are not in conflict.

Will you be creating any more Penhaligon’s and L’Artisan fragrances this year?

BD: I  am working on two Penhaligon’s projects ( one is finished already ) and one project for L’Artisan Parfumeur  as well

JCE: 2002 (Photo: Bois de Jasmin blog)

What will your role be at The Different Company? Will it be similar to Jean Claude Ellena’s at Hermes (who started the Different Company and left in 2004)?

BD:   I will work like I am working already for L’Artisan Parfumeur and Penhaligon's; they will give me exclusivity on their next projects

How much creative latitude will you have?

BD: I have already the same freedom and latitude of possibilities as  with L’Artisan Parfumeur and Penhaligon's … no more, no less

Why the Different Company, when so many houses would have wanted you?

BD: I am choosing only the more exclusive, the  most luxurious, those one accept my desire to create fragrance without limitations of price or creativity

What are the core values of The Different Company that you will continue, what will you bring that is different?

BD: not completely different, but an evolution of work,  just because I will try to achieve a different style of creation

Aoud is erotic;  I chose these African sculptures to reflect Bertrand Duchaufour's love of African primitve Art

When will the first fragrance you create for The Different Company debut?

BD: I think the first launch is in April…An oudh

 

Of all the fragrances to date by the TDC, which is your favorite? Why?

BD: “Sel de vetiver”

When Jean Claude Ellena started The Different Company , the fragrances were in his minimalist style , in keeping with his training as a student of Edmond Roudnitska.  I don’t think of you in those terms…you are about challenge and dualites. In what way will you bring your signature to your new position?

  BD: You’re right I have a different style than JCE… The first fragrance I am working on for TDC is quite sophisticated but I will try to come back to “house’s style”, working more… simply…

How is our Rice and Ink fragrance? Is it in progress?

BD: I did few tries upon it… by it’s in stand by for while… I will come back to it later, I promise.

  

Henri Toulouse Lautrec: Woman Sitting on a Divan

 Cafleurebon’s 1^st birthday is March 22, 2011. What fragrance would you dedicate to us of all you have created and why?

  BD: I will choose the more eccentric and sensual for you Michelyn…L'Artisan Parfumeur  NUIT DE TUBEREUSE … c’est la fête

When are we going to drink a great Scotch whiskey in NYC?

BD: Hum… I don’t know… may-be in the end of this year I guess… when somebody will invite me  to New York. I hope so ! 

Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

 

 

 Courtesy of www.lartisanparfumeur.com

 Editor's Note: I dedicate this quote to -Bertrand- from Toulouse Lautrec who's art I used to 'paint' Nuits de Tubereuse ". In our time there are many artists who do something because it is new.. they see their value and their justification in this newness. They are deceiving themselves.. novelty is seldom the essential. This has to do with one thing only.. making a subject better from its intrinsic nature"

Thanks to our friends at L’Artisan Parfumeur you too can smell eccentric and sensuous J This is a draw for 100ml of Nuits de Tubereuse and will kick off www.cafleurebon.com’s  first Birthday. Please leave a comment on your favorite fragrance by Bertrand Duchaufour, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Penhaligon’s and /or the Different Company. Draw end Monday March 14, 2011 at  6 PM est

   REQUES : Please read the links, and go through our archives as we will be holding  many draws and  special surprises as well as a Celebration contest beginning today, for your favorite interview, article, review from March 22, 2010 –  www.cafleurebon.com