Tête-à-tête: Of Scent, irresistible

“A perfume is an act of love”-This remark by late Robert Ricci, (creator of the classic L'Air du Temps,) couturier and head of Nina Ricci, is surely the most apt definition of the product. While olfactory satisfaction to people undoubtedly may not be an ambitious and obsessive one (unlike protagonist Jean-Baptiste Grenouille of Patrick Süskind’s bestselling Perfume,) the quest for the right fragrance is undeniably an experience of sorts. Perfumes, on a closer look, bridge important facets of life; personality, aspiration, nostalgia and emotion.

When we were invited to the Andheri-based office of Givaudan, a leading Swiss fragrance firm which is also one of the world’s largest manufacturers of synthetic perfumery ingredients, we were aware of being exposed to redolence like never before. But who knew that we’d eventually discern how the making of perfume is nothing different than artistry. Yes, perfume creation is fine art. 

The fourth floor of Akcruti Centre Point, Seepz, on inspection, resembles a laboratory. As we tour the zone, we are acquainted to how fragrance formula-creation is a task of the expert—a basic fragrance may have about 60 to 120 ingredients. Using permutation-combination, a perfumer creates a fragrance, which is then inspected (according to client requisite) by an evaluator. We then discover how fragrances are blended in various sampling booths and finally, evaluated on the basis of smell, retention, long-lastingness and other qualities.  

Post a round trip of the working zone of Givaudan, during which we also find out that some of their global fragrances include the iconic Poison by Christian Dior, Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, and other fine perfumes from brands like Hugo Boss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci and more, we meet Senior Perfumers at Givaudan Dr. Prakash Narayan (Bangalore) and Mr. Jordi Fernandez Morante (Dubai), perfumers of Givaudan, and Creative Fragrance Executive Anupama Vadnagra. What we are then exposed to is the ambrosial world of potions (read: perfumes). 

Excerpts from our conversation:
dna: Reports reveal that the Indian fragrance industry is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 40%. Tell us about this.
Anupama Vadnagra (AV): The interphase with fragrances for the Indian consumer was once, only through skincare products. As far as consumer products are concerned, it was functional and the fragrance would not be the driver of the product. But now, consumers are evolving. Deodorants (deos) are a 2300 - 2500 crore market currently, and is growing tremendously. This is because the consumer is now aware of and understands fragrances. We expect the fine fragrance market (perfumes, EDTs, EDPs) to ride in the next 4-5 years. 

dna: Why is it that in India, unlike the market abroad, production of deos more than niche fragrances?
Dr. Prakash Narayan (PN): Niche fragrances are priced high; Rs. 3000 at an average, and the brand complements the sales. A deo is available at Rs. 250; not only is it affordable, it has varieties, and also sustains 80% of the characteristic of the niche fragrance. These factors come in play and thus, help the market. Indian brands like Titan and Reliance do create niche fragrances; but a deo is the easiest to promote here. 
AV: Fine fragrance is unfortunately associated with ‘snob’ value. You wear a fragrance because it is a brand. Only 3-4% people may wear it because they like the smell. 

dna: What factors do you keep in mind when creating a fragrance?
Jordi Fernandez Morante (JF): A perfumer will consider culture, weather, consumer needs, before creating a new fragrance. Even the concept (seduction, freedom and more) plays a major role, as fragrances are about emotions.

dna: As a perfumer for the Indian market, how do you seek inspiration for fragrances?

PN: The Indian scenario is changing; despite being modern we’re also deep-rooted into our culture. When we adapt a fragrance, such emotions come to play through the ingredients used. For instance, use of spices we can relate to or other elements that are unique to our soil. The idea is to correlate. Also, to know what suits a gender; musk for women, dry amber for men and the sorts.

dna: A particular ingredient which is difficult to work with in perfumery?
PN: One needs to be very careful with aldehydes. While creating fine fragrances, if you touch aldehyde it may smell like agarbatti. Then again, there’s the classic exception of Chanel No 5. 

dna: Bespoke perfumery- is it a trend India will see soon?
AV: Bespoke perfumery is when perfume is created for a particular client according to their likes and persona; it is rare, niche and high-end, even abroad. 

dna: Fragrance to be sold via a celebrity; how much of a say does the celeb have on it?
PN: The celebrity is nothing but a medium of communication for the brand. And it is their characteristic that is highlighted through the perfume. For instance, Lady Gaga is extremely bold, funky and that’s the idea that reflects in her perfumes. Celebrity perfumes is very trendy abroad, especially in the US market. There’s a perfume for almost every celeb, Beiber, JLo. But in India, there’s a long way to go.

dna: Tell us about the time-frame for the creation of a perfume.
JF: It depends; sometimes a few months and at times it takes years. 

PN: A good creation takes a while, and is worth the sweat. Frankly, a perfumer's job is that of patience.

dna: And what about the success of a perfume. What guarantees it?
JF: One can never guarantee the success of a fragrance despite the hard work one puts in to create it. It is the consumer who makes it a success. Sometimes a perfumer may believe in a fragrance and love it, but it may fail in the market, and vice versa. That is the magic of the fragrance.

Givaudan specialises in personal care products like deos, perfumes, soaps and shampoos, lotions, oral hygiene items as well as other goods like detergents, air fresheners and floor cleaners. Working with the who’s who of the FMCG world, the company has an overall approx 25% market share.