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photography by richard Schroeder Jean-Claude Ellena uses the simplest tools—pen, paper, smelling strips—and his finely tuned nose to create fragrances for Hermès. "I do n 't th In k sm e l l s hav e a ge n d e r an y mo r e th a n co l o r s , so u n d s , or ta s t e s d o .... fo r me , pe r f u m e s ar e lIk e wo r k s of ar t ." —jean-claude ellena demanding. The hardest thing is [figuring out] how I am going to translate the concept into a physical presence. Until the moment comes that the product matches the idea in my head, I put it aside; I come back to it later, I work on it. That's why it can take 10 years. Cuir d'Ange is appealing for both women and men. How did you accomplish that? I don't think smells have a gender any more than colors, sounds, or tastes do. Unfortunately, societies have created codes that we find difficult to break from. These codes are a framework that helps us live in an increasingly complex world, but one from which we sometimes want to be free. For me, perfumes are like works of art and, as such, aren't intended for men or women, but for all mankind. In your book, The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur (Rizzoli, $25), you say there is a miscon- ception that your perfumes only contain natural ingredients, nothing artificial. I see all ingredients as smells, whether they're natural or artificial. I love them all. I don't differentiate between them, so long as they serve my idea. The advent of chemical ingredients has given us a much broader olfactory palette. How lucky we are! What are your own personal favorite scents? The smell of human skin without perfume—my wife's and my children's. Tell us about your studio. Why did you choose to have it in Grasse? I live and work in the south of France near Grasse, the perfume capital. I was born there. It's an incredible space, steeped in history, filled with light and smells. The workshop I come to every morning is a house designed in the '60s and built into the side of a hill. The workshop is open; the doors are never closed. My work tools are sheets of paper, a pencil, a fountain pen, an eraser, smelling strips, and rotating smelling-strip holders. The laboratory is at the far end of the house, as far as possible from my office, so that I'm not distracted by the smell. I work exclusively from memory. You have created many iconic fragrances, includ- ing Van Cleef & Arpels's First and Bulgari's Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Do you consider Cuir d'Ange to be a new classic? I sincerely hope so—to have a perfume that stands outside of time, a perfume beyond fashions and trends. What's the difference between French and American tastes in fragrance? For Americans, the notion of cleanliness dominates. Pleasure is allowed if it's useful—for example, smelling clean and having good longevity—whereas French-style perfuming likes a bit of controversy and the body's own smells. How did you finally realize your vision for Cuir d'Ange? Was it a "voilà!" moment? Suddenly, an instant will come when you say, "That's it! That's what I was looking for." Creating a fragrance is a terrible and terrifying process because I'm the kind of person who is continually dissatisfied until that moment comes. And then the pleasure is very short. Like sex—French-style! c uir d'a nge is number 12 in h ermès's h ermessence collection of perfumes and is available exclusively in hermès stores. the h eritage on the garden, 320 Boylston s t., 617-482-8707; hermes.com BC c o n t In u e d fr o m pa g e 54... 56 bostoncommon-magazine.com STYLE Uncommon Scents