Christine Baillifard has passed away. IFF has released a statement:
IFF honors the memory of Christine Baillifard. She spent more than 30 years with IFF, and she had a gift and passion for fragrance and exuberance for life. Some of her notable fragrance creations include Diamonds & Emeralds by Elizabeth Taylor, True Love by Elizabeth Arden and Perry Ellis by Perry Ellis. She will always be a beloved and dear member of the IFF family.
Donations may be sent to Save the Children online or by calling 1-800-728-3843.
Friend and colleague Lee Castleman offers this remembrance:
Christine Baillifard died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack on Jan. 13, 2012.
Originally from Switzerland, Christine was a perfumer at IFF for more than three decades. She created luminous perfumes for Elizabeth Taylor, Victoria's Secret and many others.
Her consummate abilities ranged from functional to fine fragrance. Having the good fortune to train with Ernest Shiftan and Josephine Catapano, Christine developed an inimitable style all her own, incorporating classical attributes with a floral lyricism reflecting her warm personality. Her absolute favorite flower was always the lilac, with which she composed a beautiful fragrance toward the end of her career, focusing on its dewy, diaphanous elements.
Christine was the finest person I have ever known. Her warmth, her generosity, and her genuine humanity left a mark on everyone she encountered, no matter the brevity. She will be greatly missed.
