Perfumery Career
Early Life and the Encounter with Fragrance
I grew up constantly surrounded by scents and smells, which are part of life in Grasse. One of the natural scents was the smell of harvesting flowers grown in the fields. The commercial smells came from the perfume factories.
Michel Almairac
Michel Almairac was born in Grasse, France, in 1953. Everyday life was surrounded by Grasse’s abundant nature and flower growers, as well as the many perfume factories of this perfumery mecca.
At the age of 13 or 14, Almairac visited a perfume factory and was fascinated by the sight of researchers in white coats blending scents. It seems this was when Almairac decided to become a perfumer.
In 1972, Almairac enrolled at Roure’s perfumery school. From 1978, Almairac worked with Pierre Bourdon to establish the Paris branch of Takasago, then joined Florasynth, where Jean-Louis Sieuzac was head perfumer. During this period, Almairac composed Fahrenheit (Dior, 1988) with Sieuzac. Dominique Ropion was also there at the time, and they developed a close friendship.
I always use simple, short formulas. If I make a mistake and have to start again partway through, it is easy.
My former boss asked me why I used such short formulas. I replied that a short formula makes mistakes easier to find. I started doing it when I was young and feeling lazy. After all, it is easier to weigh 30 ingredients than 300.
Michel Almairac
In 1995, Almairac moved to Creations Aromatiques (now Symrise), creating perfumes for Burberry and Escada. After a period at Drom, Almairac joined Robertet in 1998 and went on to create a variety of wonderful fragrances, including Gucci Rush, Bottega Veneta’s exclusive line and Chloé Eau de Parfum.
Almairac has said that major influences were Jean Amic, an executive at Roure (now Givaudan), and the perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. These two figures had a substantial influence on Almairac’s simple approach to composition.
Founding Parle Moi de Parfum
When I created perfumes for major brands, I would be told to change this and add that, and the final creation often bore no resemblance at all to what I had really wanted to make.
Michel Almairac
In 2016, Michel launched Parle Moi de Parfum together with sons Benjamin and Romain, who worked at Robertet, and wife Elisabeth. True to the brand name, “Let’s talk about fragrance together,” it excludes imagery and marketing unrelated to fragrance and does not add artificial coloring to the perfumes.
Michel’s sons joined Robertet just as Le Labo was launching, and Romain also worked at Le Labo in its early days, when Michel composed Ambrette 9. Since that time, both Michel and Romain had wanted to create a brand. With Benjamin’s management experience, Parle Moi de Parfum came into being.
The first eight perfumes launched were selected from 15 that Michel had wanted to bring to the world but that brands had not adopted during 45 years of work in the industry.
A distinctive detail on the bottles is the number indicating how many trials Michel Almairac undertook before reaching the final version. All of the eaux de parfum are also at a concentration of 20%.
In the boutique, three principal ingredients from each fragrance are laid out for customers to smell, helping them better understand its structure.
(What we wanted to do with Parle Moi de Parfum was) show how perfumery, the perfume industry, works. You can go into the laboratory, see all the raw materials and buy there on the spot. We do not blend there, because that is a step carried out in the factory. But we do show the filtering and assembly work.
Benjamin Almairac
A passion for ensuring the right formula, a passion for finding the right name, and a passion for moving the creative process forward. It is a natural extension of my everyday work.
Romain Almairac
Many Successful Protégés
Michel Almairac, whose appearance recalls Beethoven, is also known for having many protégés, each of whom has enjoyed considerable success. Here are some of the best-known.
Bertrand Duchaufour… Duchaufour, who helped shape L’Artisan’s heyday and created many niche fragrances, names Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Dominique Ropion and Michel Almairac as mentors. They probably met at Florasynth.
Christine Nagel… The current in-house perfumer at Hermès. Nagel met Michel during the Creations Aromatiques years. Michel supported Nagel’s first fragrance, probably Alain Delon’s Samouraï. Since Michel had composed Nikos Sculpture Homme, perhaps it is no surprise that Samouraï became popular?
Annick Ménardo… Like Nagel, Ménardo trained under Michel during the Creations Aromatiques period and is known for composing Bvlgari Black (1998), Hypnotic Poison (Dior, 1998), Bois d’Arménie (Guerlain, 2006), and Patchouli 24 and Gaiac 10 (both Le Labo).
Anne Flipo… Now recognized by Frédéric Malle and active across many brands as a perfumer at IFF, Flipo trained under Michel and worked alongside Almairac for nearly ten years during the Robertet period.
Amandine Clerc Marie… Also known for co-creating Chloé Eau de Parfum with Michel, Clerc Marie began studying under Almairac around 2001.
Jérôme Epinette… Epinette joined Robertet in 2003 and now composes most of Byredo’s perfumes, in great demand among both niche houses and fashion brands. Epinette trained under Michel after joining the company and received help from Almairac on Epinette’s first Montblanc perfume.
Sidonie Lancesseur… Lancesseur became a perfumer in 2006 and trained under Michel. That talent quickly blossomed, and since 2007 Lancesseur has created more Kilian perfumes than anyone except Calice Becker.
Perfume is like cooking. With the same ingredients, you can make either mayonnaise or whipped cream. The same curious phenomenon occurs in perfume. This is the art of blending. The interaction of the ingredients is what matters most.
My teacher once said, “If you cannot smell and identify it, you do not need it. But I am not fixated on simple formulas, nor am I obsessed with them. I use what is needed. It is the raw materials that stir my creativity.”
Michel Almairac
Fragrance Creations
I have had the opportunity to create many perfumes, and that is like having many children. Even if you had 15 or 20 children, you would not be able to choose one you loved more than the others. They are all my children.
Michel Almairac
| Year | Brand | Name | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Gucci | Eau de Gucci Concentree | |
| 1984 | Rochas | Lumiere | |
| 1985 | Jil Sander | Jil Sander Woman III | |
| 1986 | Davidoff | Zino Davidoff | |
| 1987 | Joop! | Joop! Femme | |
| 1988 | Dior | Fahrenheit | Jean-Louis Sieuzac |
| 1989 | Joop! | Joop! Homme | |
| 1990 | Escada | Margaretha Ley | |
| 1990 | Jil Sander | Jil Sander No. 4 | |
| 1992 | Chopard | Casmir | |
| 1992 | Laura Biagiotti | Venezia | |
| 1992 | Paloma Picasso | Minotaure | |
| 1993 | Gucci | Eau de Gucci | |
| 1993 | L’Artisan Parfumeur | Voleur de Roses | |
| 1994 | Kare | Eau de Murano | |
| 1995 | Burberry | Burberry Men, Burberry Women | |
| 1995 | Nikos | Sculpture Pour Homme | |
| 1999 | Gucci | Gucci Rush | |
| 2000 | Dunhill | Desire for Men | |
| 2001 | Gucci | Gucci Rush 2 | |
| 2002 | Calvin Klein | Truth Men | |
| 2002 | Gres | Cabaret | |
| 2002 | Montblanc | Presence d’une Femme | |
| 2003 | Dunhill | Dunhill | |
| 2003 | Escada | Ibiza Hippie | Richard Ibanez |
| 2003 | Gucci | Gucci Pour Homme | |
| 2003 | Rochas | Lui Rochas | Amandine Clerc Marie |
| 2004 | Escada | Magnetism for Men | |
| 2004 | Giorgio Armani | Bois d’Encens | |
| 2005 | Andy Warhol | Pop Pour Femme | |
| 2005 | Anna Sui | Secret Wish | |
| 2006 | Giorgio Armani | Cuir Amethyste | |
| 2006 | Jette Joop | By Night Jette | |
| 2006 | Le Labo | Ambrette 9 | |
| 2006 | Naomi Campbell | Cat Deluxe | |
| 2007 | Parfums Ailleurs | Encore, Ici | |
| 2007 | Shiseido | Zen | |
| 2008 | Azzaro | Twin for Men | Sidonie Lancesseur |
| 2009 | Jaguar | Prestige Spirit | |
| 2010 | Marc O’Polo | Marc O’Polo Men | |
| 2011 | Acqua di Parma | Gelsomino Nobile | |
| 2011 | Burberry | Body | |
| 2011 | Charriol | Imperial Ruby | Sidonie Lancesseur |
| 2011 | Charriol | Royal Gold Eau de Toilette Intense | Richard Ibanez |
| 2011 | Porsche Design | Sport | |
| 2012 | Balmain | Ivoire | Jacques Flori |
| 2012 | Charriol | Imperial Saphir | Mylene Alran |
| 2012 | Charriol | Show Off | |
| 2012 | Jil Sander | The Essentials Woman III | |
| 2013 | Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-Benz for Her | |
| 2014 | Anna Sui | La Nuit de Boheme Eau de Toilette | Jérôme Epinette |
| 2014 | Jaguar | Innovation | |
| 2014 | Lalique | Azalee | Mylene Alran |
| 2014 | Lalique | Hommage a L’Homme Voyageur | |
| 2014 | Terry de Gunzburg | Bleu Paradis, Fruit Defendu, Rose Infernale, Rouge Nocturne | |
| 2015 | Givenchy | Dahlia Divin Eau de Toilette | François Demachy |
| 2016 | Zadig & Voltaire | This is Her! | Sidonie Lancesseur |
| 2017 | Jimmy Choo | Man Ice | |
| 2017 | Les Bains Guerbois | 1885 Eau de Cologne | |
| 2017 | Marc Cain | Mysteriously No. 1, Mysteriously No. 2, Mysteriously No. 3 | |
| 2017 | Zadig & Voltaire | Just Rock! Pour Elle | Sidonie Lancesseur |
| 2018 | Jaguar | Stance | |
| 2018 | Les Bains Guerbois | 2015 Le Phenix | |
| 2019 | Addiction | Eau d’Addiction | |
| 2019 | Boucheron | Quatre En Rouge | Mylene Alran |
| 2019 | Len Fragrances | Crystal Bomb, Jeux Dangereux, Just Roulette, Privarot, She&Male, Try to follow me | |
| 2019 | Les Parfums de Rosine | Bois Fuchsia | |
| 2019 | Van Cleef & Arples | Santal Blanc | |
| 2020 | Jimmy Choo | Tempting Rose | Clement Marx |
| 2020 | Jimmy Choo | Vanilla Love | |
| 2000–2005 | Ghost | Cherish, Ghost, Serenity | |
| 2005–2017 | Salvador Dali | Dalilight with Sidonie Lancesseur, Eau de RubyLips, Fabulous 3, Eau de RubyLips, Fabulous 4, Salvador for Men, Fabulous Mandawa, Fabulous Marudhai, ITISDREAM, ITISLOVE, ITISLOVE Intense, Salvador, Sea & Sun in Cadaques | |
| 2007–2020 | Bond No.9 | Coney Island, Fire Island, Gold Coast, HTTP://WWW.BONDNO9.COM, Saks Fifth Avenue for Her, Saks Fifth Avenue for Him, The Scent of Peace, Tribeca, West Side, Bryant Park, My New York | |
| 2008–2020 | Chloe | Chloe Eau de Parfum with Amandine Clerc Marie, Chloe Absolu de Parfum, Chloe Eau de Toilette, Chloe Fleur de Parfum with Mylene Alran, Chloe Rose Tangerine with Sidonie Lancesseur, L’Eau de Chloe, Lisy, Roses de Chloe with Mylene Alran, See by Chloe, See by Chloe Eau Fraiche | |
| 2011–2018 | Bottega Veneta | Bottega Veneta, Bottega Veneta Eau de Velours, Bottega Veneta Eau Legere, Bottega Veneta Eau Sensuelle with Mylene Alran, Bottega Veneta Essence Aromatique, Bottega Veneta L’Absolu, Parco Palladiano I Magnolia, Parco Palladiano VI Rosa, Parco Palladiano VII Lilla | |
| 2016–2020 | Parle Moi de Parfum | Cedar Woodpecker, Chypre Mojo, Flavia Vanilla, Gardens of India 79, Guimauve de Noel, Milky Musk, Orris Tattoo, Papyrus Oud 71, Tomboy Neroli, Totally White, Une Tonne de Roses, Woody Perfecto, Haute Provence 89, Mile High 38 |
