THE HEIGHT Of HAUTE PARFUMERIE

Guerlain's Thierry Wasser on the art of perfumery and his success with the beauty house.

- SYAMEEN SALEHALDIN

In an age where our senses are overcast by screen time, Swiss-born fragrance maverick Thierry Wasser makes it his mission to correct the course of the luxurious perfume industry with his gifted nose. There's never been a better time to delve deeper into the world of fragrances than now as brands herald the arrival of new scent creations, such as Aqua Allegoria by Guerlain, a continuously renewed collection that pays homage to the wonders of nature and beautiful raw materials-cheerful fragrances that represent joyous moments that magnify the exceptional flowers that compose them.

Born in Lausanne on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, Thierry Wasser has always been fond of plants and nature, making him the perfect man to be Guerlain's first-ever perfumer who's not from within the family. Wasser is celebrated for his knowledge of composing elegant scents and his widespread fame in the fragrance world has earned him the title of a master perfumer.

We recently caught up with Wasser on the art of perfumery and his success with Guerlain and the French art-filled fragrance odes.

Can you share your journey on how you got started in perfumery?

TW: I became a perfumer by chance. Even if I used fragrance, I had no idea how it was made or designed. I've heard about a company in Geneva manufacturing fragrances. I did get in touch with them, out of curiosity, and after meeting with the Chief Perfumer at Givaudan he hired me to follow their perfumery school training program for 4 years. And I loved it so much that it became my destiny.

What's your first ever fragrance memory?

TW: The first perfume I ever had was Habit Rouge. I bought it when I was 14, after having smelled that fragrance on a friend of my mother and loved it. It will remain forever in my memory as the first perfume I ever wore and really does something to me.