I'm not a nose, but I work with noses. I see myself as the perfumer’s coach. I brief them, I feed them with ideas, inspiration. Some brands don't talk about it as much; they'll take more credit [for creating the fragrance], but we're very open about the fact that we work with perfumers. I have very close collaborations with the few whom I work with because I spend so much time explaining the Jo Malone DNA to them. If I had to explain that every single time to a new perfumer, I don’t think I’d ever get any work done!
— Celine Roux, who as the vice president of global fragrance development, provides creative direction to the perfumers they hire. Read more at The Story Behind Jo Malone London's Newest Fragrance at W Magazine.
Fun. But she was a little coy about favorite scents. I’ve never owned a Jo Malone…still looking for the one.
I thought this was interesting partly because perfumers are now in the spotlight, but most creative directors are still virtually unknown, even by perfumistas.
That was an interesting interview.
And, what a dream job!!
In some ways I think it would be more interesting to be a creative director than a perfumer.