Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain
Profile: I grew up in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, hiking and hunting in the marshes and oak woodlands with my father whenever I could. Part of my fascination with scent stems from those early days and I can still recall with clarity the unmistakable brandy-like smell of Sierra sugar pine and the pungent, medicinal odor of kitkitdizzi under foot.
Alexander Chesebro and Ian Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald and Guislain
My real journey into perfume began when Ian Fitzgerald (now my collaborator) and I stumbled upon Perfume Mendo in the quiet, coastal town of Mendocino. The proprietress, Judith Brandman, has an encyclopedic knowledge of perfume and a mind-blowing collection of fragrances to match. I was introduced for the first time to the classic houses of French perfumery (Caron, Guerlain, Houbigant) as well as American niche perfumers such as Ineke and Yosh. However, it was the perfumes of Olivia Giacobetti I discovered that day that drove me towards becoming a perfumer. Her compositions had an incredible sense of place and controlled purpose. Every essence seemed chosen with such care and the accords unfolded with impressive grace. Fou d’Absinthe transported me straight back to sugar pine-filled hikes and I could almost taste the lapsang souchong tea and ginger biscuits in Tea for Two.
Fitzgerald and Guislain display at Tiger Lily Perfumery in San Francisco
Galvanized by our adventure in Mendocino, Ian and I rushed to create our own perfumes. Early attempts followed a predictable formula: zealous over-enthusiasm plus a complete lack of expertise, plus poor quality ingredients of dubious origin equaled an unwearable mess. After creating ten or so of these olfactory monstrosities, we sought out Judith once more for guidance. She pointed us to the burgeoning San Francisco niche perfume scene where we found a large network of resources for the budding perfumer. After two years of study, I returned to Perfume Mendo to get Judith’s opinion on our new compositions. I was astonished and deeply flattered when, after smelling our creations, she said that Ian and I should pursue launching our own perfume line. Three months later, Fitzgerald and Guislain was born.
Victorian Chassis d’enfleurage via Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain
My choice to pursue natural perfumery over mixed-media was largely due to my background in historical research. While studying perfume, I discovered the fascinating world of mid-nineteenth century perfumery; the last era of perfumery before the introduction of synthetic aroma chemicals. I was captivated by the surprisingly complex methods of ingredient production, such as enfleurage and maceration, that existed before the rise of the absolute extraction process rendered them extinct. Contrary to popular belief, many Victorian perfumes possessed considerable depth and the range of perfumes expanded far beyond quaint floral concoctions.
Jasmine from Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain garden
The vision for Fitzgerald and Guislain was to create hybrid perfumes that combined the finest modern botanical ingredients with historical techniques and sensibilities. As many of the materials available to the Victorian perfumer are no longer produced for the perfume industry, we make many of our own essences, such as our extraits d’enfleurages, in house. There is something very special about blending a perfume with essences from your own garden.
Ernest Daltroff, founder and perfumer of Caron
My latest perfume endeavor has been an extended homage to Ernest Daltroff and his successor Michel Morsetti, the legendary perfumers behind the house of Caron’s most beloved fragrances in the twentieth century. Like many vintage perfume aficionados, I have been disappointed with the modern reformulations of masterpieces such as Tabac Blond and Poivre, so I have set out to create a series of natural perfumes heavily influenced by the original versions of these decadent concoctions and based on extensive research into mid-century perfumery. Noyo à l’Automne, the first scent in the series, is both a nod to Caron’s spicy vintage concoctions and to the Noyo harbor where labdanum bushes perfume the autumn evenings with their heady aroma of amber and incense.
Fitzgerald and Guislain perfume organ
American Perfumery: Many other American perfumers have noted that we are not afraid to break the mold of traditional perfumery and wander off into experimental territory. However, what fascinates me is that the American niche perfume scene has now been around long enough and grown large enough that it has started to develop its own trends and styles that are distinct from their European counterparts.
Forêt de Fontainebleau Fitzgerald and Guislain
I find that while “dirty” notes in French perfumery tend to be more animalic and sultry, American perfumes aiming for a darker feel tend to gravitate towards vegetal and earthy smells that evoke a forest floor, like rich soil. Additionally, intense woody materials have a much more prominent place in American perfumery, taking center stage to and shining in their own right rather than merely playing a supporting role. Given these (and other) emerging trends in American olfaction, I am very curious to learn what accords or specific perfumes perfumistas fifty years from now will identify as being illustrative of our period.
John Singer Sargent, The Black Brook c.1908
Favorite American Artist: The works of John Singer Sargent have always entranced me. His painting style reminds me of what a master perfumer such as Giacobetti is able to achieve; he used only the brush stokes he needed to capture the subject perfectly and no more. I love the way that his portraits in particular appear to be hyper-realistic at the center of focus, yet often utilize broad brush strokes and very little detail as you move away from the subject of the painting. The complex pleats of a gown and the intricacies of lace are captured and implied without the need to paint them in detail. He allows the eye and the brain to fill in the details. He was also most active during my favorite period of American history to study, adding to his allure for me.
–Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain Perfumes (co-founder and perfumer).
Fitzgerald and Guislain Gerefou
Thanks to Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain we are offering a 30ml bottle classic spray perfume of your choice (Gerefou, Nuit à l’Opéra, Golden Rose, or Eucalypcense) and a sample of our as yet unreleased vintage style extrait, Noyo à l’Automne to one lucky reader in the USA and Canada. To be eligible you must be a registered reader(register here), you must be registered or your comment will not count. Tell us what you found fascinating about Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain Perfumes path to perfumery and which fragrance you would want should you win. Draw closes 8/3/2018
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Please read Ida Meister’s reviews
Alexander Chesebro of Fitzgerald and Guislain is our 137th American perfumer in our series. All photos belong to with the exception of the John Singer Sargent and Ernest Daltroff
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