There isn’t much, scent-wise, that Anne Flipo doesn’t like. Offal? No problem. Beaver secretions? Bring it on. Flipo, a designated master perfumer, is a rare talent who dives into fragrances with gusto. Since joining the global scent powerhouse, International Flavors and Fragrance (IFF) in 2004, she’s crafted perfume classics, including La Nuit de l’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent, Basil & Neroli by Jo Malone, La Vie est Belle by Lancôme, Synthetic Nature by Frédéric Malle—the list goes on. This year alone, she had a hand in seven new fragrances, including Prada’s Paradigme and Givenchy’s Irresistible. Still, Flipo’s work has always been guided by her deep affinity for nature, a bond forged in her childhood in northern France. “I remember being in my beautiful garden where green was absolutely everywhere, from the cut grass and the ivy to the trees and fruit,” she says. “Where you come from always inspires your work.” We asked her about the fragrances she loves, the ones she steers clear of, and those she’ll never forget.
Is there something that draws all of your fragrances together?
Above all, a love of epicurean pleasure. But what truly binds everything together is the initial idea behind a perfume, or what happens at the beginning of the perfume process. At first, perfumers try to understand what’s being asked of them, and then we let our minds wander. We really want to make sure to get it right. Is that a philosophy? I don’t know.
What’s the first scent you remember?
Orange blossom, at least as a perfumer in the making. I was 15, which is a magical age because everything is still possible. We absorb so much at that age, and we’re so creative. I had the joy of smelling oranges in bloom in an orangery. I have a very strong olfactory memory of that moment, a bit like if I’d taken a mental photograph of the smell. It was this unknown, this powerful, fresh, ultra-feminine scent that covered the entire room.
Is there an aroma that’s your Proust’s Madeleine?
Green notes. I realized just how important they are to me during COVID. Perfumery is a bit like nature—there are endless green notes available to perfumers, and I saw that again during the first spring of the coronavirus. I was often in the countryside, and I saw many greens coming out of trees, their leaves changing color every day. That diversity reminded me of the green smells that made a strong impression on me as a child.
Is there a scent from nature that you’d like to recreate?
Hm, what drives me nuts? There are so many. Maybe a good rose—a Pierre de Ronsard rose. It’s very complex.
When you travel, is there a smell that captivates you?
It’s not easy, because the scents of a trip can be an entire ambiance. But I loved Indonesia.
Do you have a favorite food scent?
The smell of a cake baking is so good, like when a chocolate cake or a clafoutis is in the oven. Really, it’s the smell of hot sugar.
How about a food scent you can’t bear?
I like everything. Tripe can be a bit much, but it doesn’t really bother me, either. Sometimes garlic can be bad. But I’ll go with onions.
What fragrance do you like that most people don’t?
I love flambéed kidneys. And castoreum [the secretion from a beaver’s anal glands]—it has an incredible patina.
How about a fragrance that most people like but that you don’t?
This quiz is hard! Honestly, I have to say green notes. People often have a hard time with them.
Do you ever dream of smells?
Yes, I think so. We dream of everything, don’t we? But then again, I don’t remember much about my dreams. What I’m sure of is that my brain works a lot at night. It does good thinking then.
What scent have you recently been inspired by?
Geranium.
How do you feel about the intense interest in fragrances today?
I think it’s great. Smell is our oldest and most primitive sense, but it’s sometimes been neglected. During COVID, when people began to lose their sense of smell, it helped us understand how important it is. This rise in interest can be a little annoying for us perfumers, because we can feel overworked and a bit overexposed in the media, but at the end of the day, it’s a beautiful profession and a beautiful industry.
Jeanne Malle is a Junior Editor at AIR MAIL
