Carving a FRAGRANT NICHE
Harper's Bazaar India|January - February 2023
Bazaar India spoke to Martine Micallef, Co-founder of luxury fragrance brand M.Micallef, on the launch of the Maison's new scent, the future of the industry, and the one ingredient she would use to create an India-inspired perfume.
MEGHNA SHARMA
Carving a FRAGRANT NICHE

Harper’s Bazaar: Tell us about the origin of your eponymous brand M. Micallef.

Martine Micallef: “My journey began 26 years ago, when my husband Geoffrey [Nejman] and I decided to launch a perfume business together. In the beginning, we didn’t know much about the fragrance industry. My husband was a banker, while I, at the time, ran a beauty salon—it was my first business. One night, I asked Geoffrey, ‘Why don’t we start a perfume business?’. He was not thrilled at first, as we didn’t have any experience in this area, we didn’t have a business plan, and we had no ‘brand name’ or goodwill.

But I am an artist first... I knew exactly what I wanted to create. I used to meet a lot of women in my beauty salon and that gave me a fair idea of what women liked. I assured my husband that I knew what I was doing, and I made him meet Jean-Claude Astier, a senior perfumer, who’s also my mentor. And he helped create scents for us.”

HB: Did you and Jean-Claude work together to create the fragrances?

MM: “My husband and I travel a lot, so we brought a lot of ingredients from different countries, and we tried to create new fragrances with Jean-Claude. Slowly and steadily, we reached a stage where our brand was recognised and appreciated for the unexpected blends.

It was almost like a love story that unravelled. Geoffrey and I wanted to do something together—I am creative and he is good with numbers, and because of this combination, we were able to manage the different departments well.”

Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2023 de Harper's Bazaar India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2023 de Harper's Bazaar India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE HARPER'S BAZAAR INDIAVer todo
Filler Fatigue
Harper's Bazaar India

Filler Fatigue

With worries about facial distortion and a shift towards the natural, is it time to sav goodbye to these corrective tweaks?

time-read
4 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Mind-Skin Connection
Harper's Bazaar India

Mind-Skin Connection

Is il possible for your skincare to communicate with your brain:

time-read
3 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Tailored for the Game
Harper's Bazaar India

Tailored for the Game

Fashion meets sports as U.S. Polo Assn. names Sawai Padmanabh Singh of ol Jaipur’ s royal family its global ambassador.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Reimagined Classic
Harper's Bazaar India

Reimagined Classic

Louis Vuitton launches the Neverfull Inside Out bag, transforming the icon into a fully reversible tote.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Italian Muse
Harper's Bazaar India

Italian Muse

Guecr's new high jew ellery collection isa stroll through the country’s picturesque gardens.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Co Gs Art Post, Gas Art Pas New CELSIOR Net Lay the show Neking ble e dh PATRON An TH Fotal 24 ANAR Romantics
Harper's Bazaar India

Co Gs Art Post, Gas Art Pas New CELSIOR Net Lay the show Neking ble e dh PATRON An TH Fotal 24 ANAR Romantics

Romcoms might not have prepared me for modern dating, but they offered a timeless sartorial guide to falling in love.

time-read
3 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Making a Case for India's Ingenuity
Harper's Bazaar India

Making a Case for India's Ingenuity

William Dalrymple says The Golden Road is an extraordinary story but also the most challenging book he has written in the last two decades.

time-read
4 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
On My Playlist
Harper's Bazaar India

On My Playlist

Playback singer turned indie-pop artiste Dhee talks about music, identity, and empowering a new generation.

time-read
3 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Explicitly Bold
Harper's Bazaar India

Explicitly Bold

The latest lipstick range by Nars is designed to empower wearers with colour and confidence.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October - November, 2024
Art in a Bottle
Harper's Bazaar India

Art in a Bottle

The Perfume Library founder Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan believes fragrances are meant to be liberated.

time-read
4 minutos  |
October - November, 2024