Frédéric Malle is a third generation perfumer «perfume? I spoke the language without knowing it». Along with Dominique Ropion they collaborate again for Cologne Indélébile
To Frédéric Malle perfume is more than just a scent, it’s an emotion. As a perfume publisher he evokes emotion with his scents partly due to the fact that he knows every aspect of the business — from creation through to package design.
A family affair
Malle was born into a French family of industrialists, artists and perfumers. Louis Malle, an uncle, introduced him to a world filled with recherché books and films while surrounded with rare scents and perfumes. His grandfather, Serge Hefler-Louiche, was the founder of Parfums Christian Dior and an emblem of France’s perfume legacy. His mother took over this department for the duration of her career. «perfume? I spoke the language without knowing it. My mother took the business seriously. She would bring vials home and have my brother and I smell them».
Becoming Frédéric Malle
While perfumery is embedded in Malle’s blood, he is a multifaceted man. After growing up and living in Paris until the age of twenty, he moved to New York to study History of Art at NYU. In the new environment of Manhattan, Malle discovered his own identity by combining design, architecture and contemporary art. He has always been an intuitive person, using all his senses to please his aesthetics. He worked in Laboratoires Roure for years, further expanding his already existing knowledge and expertise for perfumery.
The art of perfumery
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, founded in 2000, was never intended to be a small perfumery. Malle always wanted to become a luxury perfumery, without commercializing the process. The art of perfumery is embedded in the perfumer, which is why Malle collaborates with twelve different perfumers, creating scents unique to their style. The relationship between Malle and the perfumers are what distinguishes Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Not only does he give the perfumers complete freedom of creation with no budget nor time constraints, but he also ensures access to raw materials oftentimes inaccessible otherwise.
With the perfumers, Malle has a special relationship. He mentions himself as an editor or publisher while the inventors of the perfumes are authors. Malle works closely with the perfumers and they speak the same language. He has worked in the lab for many years, he knows the ingredients and how they function. He also realizes that his relationship with them is very similar to his friends in the publishing business relationship.
The creative process
Malle and his perfumers are complete equals when creating a new perfume, bouncing ideas off of one another. This is where his publisher type relationship with the perfumers are so valuable; a mutual respect for one another, along with a desire to push boundaries and create something that both of them are proud of. After discussing, the perfumer creates an excel type sheet with formulas after which they either begin the scientific and precise process of creating a new scent together, or revert back to the drawing board. For months following this procedure they adjust and tweak the recipe until ultimately finding the desired scent.
A persona per perfume
With any perfume that Malle creates, he envisions it for a certain persona. Géranium Pour Monsieur is for the drummer of Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts. Cologne Indélébile on the other hand is for Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kate Moss when they were young. «We had to produce our imagery, and I know that when I make a perfume, I always have an image of someone in my head, who is a match». When someone wears a Malle perfume, they get to emulate the person the perfume was designed for.
The relationship between the nose: Dominique Ropion
Ropion, who is credited with creating Carnal Flower, Géranium pour Monsieur and more, is the perfumer behind Cologne Indélébile. He believes that a good perfume must appear obvious. Thirty years of friendship between him and Malle began at the laboratories Roure Bertrand, where their careers began. Malle explains his work with Ropion; «He knows that I’m pushing him to the limit. He knows that by smell, every trial. We embark on more and more difficult projects and we’re very ambitious to do it together. I know that he’s probably the best in the industry technically, he knows that I’m probably the only star crazy enough to go through all that».
Cologne Indélébile
Cologne Indélébile was created in 2015 by Dominique Ropion and Frédéric Malle. With a base note of white musk, Cologne Indélébile emulates Géranium and in Portrait of a Lady. Cologne makes up only ten percent of the perfume while musk ninety percent. Musk is known for being multifaceted and appearing wicked yet pure. The perfume has top notes of lemon, bergamot and orange blossoms. While the perfume has masculine feel, Malle states that it is a unisex smell. There is a contrast within the perfume. «When you think of Cologne, you think clean, but then you sense betrayal, it is a mind twister».
The name of a perfume, conceived as a title, is the first element to connect someone with the perfume. Cologne Indélébile already gives a hint of the formula of the perfume. Indélébile, French for unforgettable, lasting and permanent further hints at the emotion behind the perfume.
Ropion and Malle agree that a musky base for Cologne İndélébile is suitable. Musk is supposed to make the perfume last longer «yet it was used a lot in skincare», says Malle. This perfume awakens a sensuality and confidence; it’s innocent but not being innocent. Malle prefers the shower gel version — he uses it in the morning.
Maintaining the essence of perfume
While Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle was acquired by Estée Lauder in 2014, Malle has maintained the essence from which his perfumery was born. Emulating the golden era of perfume, his business is focused on individualized needs, rather than pushing a product through mass production, mass consumption and mass promotion. This is another reason why Malle creates perfumes with a specific person in mind – when perfumeries used to be family owned businesses with century old secret recipes, a person would enter a shop and receive a personalized perfume and experience. While Malle has a clear aesthetic with regards to package and design, it is what is inside the bottle that matters.
Frédéric Malle
For the past twenty two years Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle has been creating perfumes with the essence of what perfumeries are meant to be. Frédéric Malle, together with his twelve perfumers who are the people he puts on the forefront of the business, work from their headquarters in Paris, France.
