Perfumer & Flavorist+ [P&F+]: What led you to the fragrance industry?
Pierre Bénard [PB]: The one who brought me to the perfume industry was my first mentor, a Ph.D. in vegetal biotechnology, an alchemist passionate about smells. He literally propelled me on a sensational journey into the world of scents.
For six years, he taught me the culture of olfaction and intimate knowledge in various disciplines linked to olfaction. Thanks to him, I acquired a rich experience in the design of fragrance and the odorization of places and events with renowned brands and artists for olfactory scenographies.
Guided by the botany of aromatic and perfume plants, I continued my training as a student perfumer in Montpellier, then in Grasse where I naturally entered the perfume industry.
As a perfumer within Grasse and international companies of composition and raw materials, I participate in research and development of natural raw materials, on an industrial and responsible scale, for the creation of innovative products.
I transform the material, sculpt it, model it and refine it to extract its most beautiful essence.
From these materials, precious ingredients are born from which I am inspired and which I structure with synthetic molecules to create a shape, a volume, a fragrance that I expose on the skin or in the air.
For the full article, please check out the Perfumer & Flavorist+ December 2022 issue.
