Introduction
David is a perfumer to follow. A young authentic talent with an inspiring creative mind, dedication to perfumes, and the most charismatic smile. Versed in both chemistry and perfumery, David is committed to perfecting the smallest details of his compositions through texture associations.
Inspiration2
O:Where does your inspiration come from?
D:I guess it comes from accumulating diverse sensations from all the senses (visual, taste, smells, hearing), and from that accumulated experience (memories), crossed with the knowledge of the ingredients, comes intuition.
So it comes, sometimes about a memory I would like to translate into a fragrance, or something completely new I want to try, which doesn't exist yet.
O:Do you get inspired by visual sensations?
D:Absolutely, the beauty of a landscape, sunset. Also what i found amazing, is how when you look at the petals from a flower, you can see the texture and color of it (fluffy, thick, thin, fragile, complex structure), if you touch it, it corresponds to that texture, and if you smell it, it often does as well.
O:Are you inspired by any other creators and artists in the world?
D:Yes but a lot of them so i will only name a few:
I always was amazed by renaissance and baroque painters and sculptors. The work of Michelangelo and Rembrandt in particular. The commitment and detail from their art is truly astounding.
Morgan Library & Museum/Private Collection
In movies I love the work of Mr. Nolan, although it's huge production, he always tries to make you question things, in the same manner but on smaller budget (which makes it even more valuable !). Stanley Kubrick's work. Also, all the work of Hayao Miyazaki's dreamlike worlds.
Perfumers: besides Mark, I love the work of Bertrand Duchaufour, Michel Almairac, Aurelien Guichard and Quentin Bisch, thought trough formulas, with a clear message.
Music: Widespread from Albinoni, Beethoven, Bach to Pink Floyd, Bob Marley to Kiasmos.
O:How do you pin down / remember your ideas?
D:I write down a list of ingredients that go with this idea when intuition comes, so I don't forget.
O:What sense complements olfactory experience the most?
D:Personally I would say: touch. Because I can often smell "textures" (smooth, rough, liquid, solid, vibrant, sharp etc...)
Work3
O:What is the beauty of your job?
D:The beauty of it is the endless possibilities of combination, i see it as a Piano, and see how already possibilities are endless with 88 touches. We have thousands of ingredients to play with. You can create fragrance your whole life and still learn something new everyday.
O:What are your three main pieces of wisdom when it comes to fragrance?
D:Balance, Originality, Performance
O:What people can expect from your perfumes?
D:I am trying to share my own experience and view of the fragrances I create, so I guess my own "point of view", shared through the sense of smell although I still have a lot to learn! As I am inspired by nature a lot, I think it also reflect in my work: sometimes cleaving, sometimes smooth, sometimes chaotic, sometimes peaceful, but I always try to find balance.
O:What makes fine ingredients?
D:I wouldn't say they are bad ingredients, but it's more about how you dress it up. Some are easier to use than others though, because more appealing to the nose and our memories of what is pleasant. Hedione and Iso E super for example have become almost present in every fragrance, because they don't affect the main structure, yet bring volume and act as fillers.
O:How do you know your fragrance is completed?
D:I would say it never is. But there is a moment when you reach a certain balance and you can say to yourself that if you add something it would slightly change the message you wish to give. And there you can choose to stop.
O:Do you believe that perfumes can inspire people?
D:Yes, it completes your image, uplifts your mood if it's a fragrance you particularly love, and I guess it can change how you will experience your day.
O:Many people share stories of how some perfumes awaken their emotions, do you have any story like that? Your recent most vibrant memory about the smell.
M:It often brings us back in time and memories, and so, emotions of that moment. For me one of them is Fahrenheit, every time I wear it it brings me back to happy moments at my grandparent's place, because my grandfather would wear it.
Life Rules4
O:What excites you the most?
D:Adventure, new places, new countries and cultures, where you can feel the authenticity of it, (like a restaurant where the locals eat, and the grandma is cooking) not some tourist traps.
O:Are you hedonist? How does it affect your work?
D:I love beauty in all it's forms, although it's subjective, I like the idea of looking for this beauty in smells and fragrances.
O:How do you wear perfume if at all?
D:I usually put in on clothes for more longevity and on the neck for diffusion.
O:What is your favourite time spent alone with yourself?
D:I like to take care of my apartment (watering plants, tidying) and doing sports, yoga, cooking. "As within, so without" and vice versa so I like to think taking care of your outside world, is taking care of your inside world.
O:Do you have any daily creative practices to keep you on?
D:It's not really an exercise because it's something quite natural, but yes, cooking, smelling herbs, looking for combination of ingredients definitely help. And in the lab, doing the same with fragrance ingredients.
O:You joined Mark because you both were aligned on your vision of perfumery, could you please tell us more about it?
D:Yes, I think it is the freedom of creation and liberty that we strongly agree on. Looking for new or forgotten ingredients, we can overdose and subtly dress on. And that perfumery is a form of art, as well as being a business.