Jérôme Epinette: Listening First, Drawing Character with Woods

“I am passionate about woods, so almost all my creations contain woods.”

Jérôme Epinette, interview with Fragroom, 2021

Born around 1975 in Burgundy, France.

From the quiet woods of Byredo to the exuberant gourmands of Sol de Janeiro. Set Jérôme Epinette’s creations side by side, and such varied worlds unfold that it can be hard to believe they are the work of the same person.

Behind that range are the repeated use of favorite materials and a willingness to listen closely to the person in front of him. With a vocabulary of his own, including patchouli and sandalwood, he changes their expression to suit his clients’ memories and emotions.

A Life in Perfumery

Wine Country and His Mother’s Perfume Shop

For Epinette, who grew up in Burgundy, comparing aromas and enjoying their differences was not something confined to specialized study. He lived in a wine-producing region and spent school holidays in the perfume shop his mother ran. Work that engaged the senses was close at hand.

His mother’s Dior Poison left a particularly strong memory: a spicy fragrance with a powerful presence. He also names Yves Saint Laurent Opium as a creation associated with his mother and with emotion.

As he grew older, he became familiar with the new fragrances on the shop’s shelves. Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò was especially significant. He says he wore it for a long time, applying it so generously that people around him told him he was using too much.

Years later, in a conversation with its creator, Alberto Morillas, he told Morillas that he had studied his creations because he wanted to know what was in them. Wearing a perfume he liked and wanting to understand how a fragrance worked were interests that overlapped early on.

Studying Chemistry and Encountering Raw Materials in Grasse

Epinette earned a master’s degree in biochemistry in Dijon, then studied at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery.

At school, he smelled and memorized both natural and synthetic fragrance materials. He visited fields and factories, learning about harvesting and the processing techniques that followed. Rather than simply learning names in a classroom, he traced where raw materials came from and how they became perfumery ingredients.

Looking back, he says that school gave him what he needed to start as a perfumer, while subsequent experience was something to gain after joining a company. Considering his present concern for the quality and character of natural materials, that sequence of learning makes sense.

His First Perfume, Created with Almairac

In 2003, Epinette joined Robertet’s Paris operation. Based in Grasse, the fragrance company specializes in sourcing and processing natural raw materials.

Robertet’s origins date back to 1850. In 1875, Paul Robertet took over the company and gave it his name. An environment connecting the cultivation and gathering of plants with extraction and fragrance creation became an important foundation for Epinette, who wanted to understand the materials themselves.

His mentor was Michel Almairac. Epinette identifies Montblanc Femme Individuelle, released in 2004, as his first professional creation.

“My mentor, Michel Almairac, helped me bring this first perfume into being.”

Jérôme Epinette on Femme Individuelle, Fragroom, 2021

General fragrance databases often present this perfume under Almairac’s name. Epinette’s account, meanwhile, conveys the relationship between a young perfumer and his mentor within the work that brought it to completion.

Epinette looked back on the creation as a member of the gourmand-chypre family, with connections to his later work. Rather than dismissing that first perfume as merely a starting point, he sees it as work worth revisiting even after time has passed.

New York and the Beginnings of Byredo

In 2006, Robertet opened a creative center on Fifth Avenue in New York. Epinette moved to the United States as part of the team involved in its launch, and subsequently made New York his working base.

A major turning point in this period was his work with Sweden’s Byredo. Through meeting perfumer Pierre Wulff, founder Ben Gorham began to see fragrance as a means of expression. Epinette, Olivia Giacobetti, and others were involved in translating that vision into perfumes.

Reports from 2008 described an initial collection of five fragrances and named three perfumers, Epinette, Giacobetti, and Almairac, as supporting the brand’s beginnings. This does not mean that all the early scents were Epinette’s work alone.

Among them, Gypsy Water (2008) and, the following year, Bal d’Afrique (2009) became closely associated with his name. The collaboration transformed the personal memories Gorham offered into something other people could wear as their own scent, bringing the contours of Epinette’s work to wider attention.

Creating with Clients, Rather Than for Them

When he starts working with a brand, Epinette first listens to what the other person wants to convey. It is not simply a matter of asking which fragrance families they like. He seeks to understand what has moved them in life and which emotions and memories they value.

“The first step is to listen. I think one of the talents a perfumer needs is to grasp the message someone wants to communicate through the brand.”

Jérôme Epinette, conversation with Morillas in System Magazine

Once he understands the other person, he starts to consider the direction of the fragrance. His approach, however, is not to set out ten or fifteen ideas and ask them to choose, but to present one or two ideas he truly believes in.

In a 2025 interview, he likewise said that when a new brand approaches him, he first asks to meet its founder. He wants to understand not only the brand’s appearance, but the person behind it. The longer they work together, the more clearly he can see the difference between fragrances they have already made and the next one they should create.

In working with Ariana Grande on Thank U, Next (2019) and God Is a Woman (2021), understanding what she liked and where she saw possibilities also provided the basis for creation. Epinette says that she was passionate about perfume and deeply involved in the creative process.

Making Each Material Count, Rather Than Adding More

Epinette is known for relatively short formulas. Using fewer ingredients is not an end in itself; rather, he does not want to cover up the nuances and beauty within an individual raw material with other ingredients.

Even sandalwood has a different character depending on whether it comes from Australia or India. He examines differences in origin and quality and considers why he is choosing that particular material. As one might expect from the person who declared his love of woods at the outset, he does not treat woody scents as a single effect.

He describes patchouli and sandalwood in particular as something like signature materials. Even when the same ingredient is used repeatedly, changes to its role, quantity, and surrounding combination produce a different fragrance.

At the same time, he clearly distances himself from the idea that only natural fragrance materials deserve special regard.

“We need both. That is all there is to it. Synthetics add complexity and combine with beautiful natural materials to create a whole.”

Jérôme Epinette on natural and synthetic fragrance materials, The Perfume Society, 2019

For a perfumer who studied both at school, natural versus synthetic is not a binary contest over which is better. Each offers strengths to draw on in shaping the desired expression.

Gypsy Water: Bringing the Presence of the Forest Close to the Skin

Gypsy Water, from 2008, was inspired by Gorham’s imaginings of Romani life and an image of a free way of living. Rather than a record reproducing an actual culture or way of life as it is, the fragrance is a story imagined by the brand.

It layers bergamot, lemon, and juniper berries with impressions of incense, orris, and pine needles. Beneath them lies the warmth of vanilla and sandalwood, gently drawing close to the skin while suggesting forests and campfires.

The composition does not run in only one direction, assuming that woods must be weighty or incense solemn. Freshness, softness, and a little smokiness coexist. That approachability offers one explanation for its lasting place among Byredo’s representative creations.

Bal d’Afrique: On a Person, Not Just on Paper

At its 2009 launch, Bal d’Afrique was introduced as a fragrance inspired by Paris in the 1920s and the enthusiasm for African culture, art, music, and dance.

The brightness of citrus and marigold leads into floral impressions reminiscent of violet and cyclamen. Beyond them, vetiver, cedar, and musk support the fragrance. Epinette was aiming for a surprising quality that would make people want to talk about it, and a lasting impression that would stay in the memory.

One person who appreciated the creation was Morillas, whom Epinette had once admired from afar.

“Bal d’Afrique is completely different when you smell it on a blotter and when you smell it on a woman. I understand why it was successful.”

Alberto Morillas, conversation with Epinette in System Magazine

A creation does not reach completion only on a blotter. There is a beauty that emerges for the first time when it touches skin and spreads around a person in motion. This was a shared experience the two returned to in their conversation. In 2025, a new interpretation was also added in the form of Bal d’Afrique Absolu.

Café Tuberosa: The Shading of Coffee in a Cologne

Founded in 2009, Atelier Cologne released its first collection in 2010. The brand put forward the idea of Cologne Absolue, combining the freshness of cologne with a more enduring presence.

Epinette was involved from the early days, creating Rose Anonyme (2012), Gold Leather (2013), Santal Carmin (2014), and other fragrances. Even when starting within a citrus framework, he expanded their fragrant worlds toward rose, leather, and sandalwood.

In Café Tuberosa (2017), he combined the creamy impression of tuberose with the bitterness and sweetness of coffee and the brightness of bergamot. The creation introduced the shading of flowers and coffee into the lightness readily associated with the word cologne.

The following year, 2018, it won The Fragrance Foundation’s Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year award in the United States. The official record lists both Epinette and brand co-founder Sylvie Ganter.

Tobacco Mandarin and an Arizona Landscape

Byredo’s Tobacco Mandarin (2020) combines the brightness of mandarin with cumin and coriander, leading into tobacco, leather, resins, and woods. Rather than letting citrus serve only as freshness, it places it within a structure of weight and contrasting temperatures.

The creation won the Universal Luxury category of Fragrance of the Year at The Fragrance Foundation’s 2021 awards in the United States.

That same year in the United Kingdom, Floral Street’s Arizona Bloom (2020) was named Best Independent Fragrance. This creation built impressions of dry air, coconut, soft woods, and musk from the landscapes and images offered by brand founder Michelle Feeney.

In his work with Floral Street, continuing since the brand’s 2017 launch, mood boards bringing together colors and photographs were also important. The same perfumer can create both the dense shading of tobacco and the openness of a dry expanse. That difference, too, grows out of an approach that develops a fragrance through dialogue.

Cheirosa 62: A Fragrance That Began with a Cream

His collaboration with Sol de Janeiro has continued since the brand’s early days. Co-founder Camila Pierotti and her colleagues wanted to convey the joy of Brazil and its open, welcoming atmosphere. Epinette himself had traveled there and could recall the feel of the place.

“In Brazil, the air is constantly filled with beautiful scents. The saltiness of the ocean and the scents of flowers and fruit are everywhere, full of joy and sensuality.”

Jérôme Epinette, official Sol de Janeiro interview, 2021

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, born of their first collaboration, attracted attention for the scent itself when the jar was opened. Its popularity led to Cheirosa 62, a perfume mist with the same fragrance.

Pistachio and almond, the softness of flowers, vanilla and salted caramel. Beneath them, too, lies Epinette’s beloved sandalwood. Appetizing, but not simply piling on sweetness, the aim was to combine the familiarity of something sweet with the sophistication of a perfume.

In 2025, Glossy described Sol de Janeiro as a brand accounting for 31.6% of parent company L’Occitane Group’s annual sales of €2.8 billion. Although this figure concerns the brand as a whole, it conveys how a scent that began with a cream grew into an important pillar of the business.

A Robertet announcement in March 2026 also named Epinette as the perfumer behind the Cheirosa 91 mist and Jelly Perfume Balms including Cheirosa 62. Rather than ending with a single hit, the collaboration continues across changing product formats.

From Niche to Everyday Life, with the Same Curiosity

Epinette’s work is not confined to high-priced niche fragrances. Vilhelm Parfumerie, Nest, Anna Sui, Ellis Brooklyn, and Zara: he has continued to create scents for different price points and retail settings.

There are accessible creations too, such as Zara’s Vibrant Leather (2018). Rather than ranking niche above mass-market perfumery, he can be described as a perfumer who understands each brand and considers what he can offer within its particular circumstances.

In 2023, he created Victoria Beckham Beauty’s first three perfumes. In 2025, his work with Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and new fragrance brands Lore and NOYZ also attracted attention. NOYZ founder Shaun Neff praises his creations for combining accessibility with a distinctive twist and sophistication.

In Rare Eau de Parfum, he wrapped impressions of pistachio, caramel, ginger, and pink pepper in warm sandalwood. Even for a celebrity brand with a wide audience, his approach of creating character through favorite materials remains unchanged.

In a 2021 interview, he also explained that, as Robertet’s vice president of fine fragrance, he was involved in enabling perfumers to use resources inside and outside the company and in new ways of processing natural raw materials. His role had expanded beyond his own creations to the environment that supports creative work.

These activities earned him a place in the 2025 Glossy 50, which recognizes people bringing about change in fashion and beauty.

“In the past, perfumers were people who worked in the shadow of brands. But now they have become pillars supporting those brands.”

Jérôme Epinette, Glossy 50 profile, 2025

Becoming known is not simply a matter of stepping into the spotlight. As a perfumer’s work becomes tied to a brand’s memory, a responsibility to take on that connection also arises. Epinette begins by listening to founders in part because he values that relationship.

By the Way…

Epinette says he might have become a sommelier had he not been a perfumer. When he returns to France in summer, he enjoys tasting and collecting wine, and he also likes cooking French home-style dishes while combining herbs.

In a 2019 interview, he described a commute of about 25 minutes on foot. He organized his thoughts for the day while walking in the morning, and on the way home he passed through Central Park and reflected on the day’s work. Once home, he put work aside and spent time with his family, although he laughingly added that he sometimes asked his wife to try perfumes he was developing.

His curiosity about new scents also extends to the next generation. In 2025, he said that his 15-year-old son was learning about fragrance materials through social media and even discussing different kinds of vetiver. It is not only perfume creators who are becoming more visible; wearers, too, are learning more about ingredients and stories.

That openness also came through in his reply when Morillas remarked on his youth during their conversation.

“There is no age in perfumery!”

Jérôme Epinette, conversation with Morillas in System Magazine

Perfume Creations

The principal creations are presented chronologically. In some places, several creations from the same year are grouped in one row. “—” indicates that the sources consulted do not name a co-perfumer; it does not necessarily mean that every part of the work was done alone.

References

• The Perfume Society：Jérome Epinette — A Working Nose（2019）
• Fragroom：Jérôme Epinette Interview（2021）
• System Magazine：Face à face — Alberto Morillas & Jérôme Epinette
• Harper’s Bazaar：Jérôme Epinette and NOYZ interview（2025）
• Glossy：Jérôme Epinette, Robertet — Glossy 50 2025
• Sol de Janeiro：Meet Our Perfumer, Jérôme Epinette（2021）
• Robertet：Group
• Robertet：Our History
• Robertet：Fragrance in Grasse — Robertet’s Excellence
• Robertet：Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez（2025）
• Robertet：Robertet × Sol de Janeiro（2026）
• Coveteur：Ben Gorham on His Creative Process, Influences, and More
• The Perfume Society：Byredo
• WWD：Hot Shots（2008）
• The Scented Salamander：Byredo Green, Rose Noir, Gypsy Water, Pulp & Chembur（2008）
• Now Smell This：Byredo Bal d’Afrique（2009）
• L’Oréal: Announcement of an Agreement to Acquire Atelier Cologne (2016)
• Wikipedia：Atelier Cologne
• The Fragrance Foundation：Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year
• The Fragrance Foundation：2021 Winners
• ÇaFleureBon：Floral Street Arizona Bloom（2021）
• Now Smell This: List of Jerome Epinette’s Creations
• Parfumo: List of Jérôme Epinette’s Creations
• Parfumo：Clean Strawberry Fields（2025）
• Fragrantica：Montblanc Femme Individuelle
• Parfumo：Montblanc Femme Individuelle
• Fragrantica：Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold
• Fragrantica: Boy Smells Cowboy Kush, 2025 Version
• Violet Grey: Introduction to the Madame Grey Brand and Extrait de Parfum