Premium Beauty News – Flair celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2012. How was the idea of a creative studio dedicated to niche perfumery born?
Anne-Sophie Behaghel – When we founded Flair in 2012, with Amélie Bourgeois and Martine Denisot, niche perfumery had been booming since the 2000s. However, the large composition houses could not meet the extent of the demand, nor in terms of volume. and neither in support capacities. There was a real place for independent perfumers.
I met Amélie Bourgeois at Cinquième Sens, where founder and perfumer Monique Schlienger taught us how to smell and compose. We trained there. It was also at Cinquième Sens that, later, Amélie met Martine Denisot. For my part, I wanted to enrich my experience in different positions at Firmenich and Symrise.
We carried out our first projects for Jovoy (Assassin Red) and Frapin (Lost paradise). François Hénin and David Frossard, the managers of these two brands, trusted us from the start. These two achievements led us to create for Room 1015, Liquides Imaginaires, Les Eaux Primordiales and BDK Parfums. For the latter brand we have signed Rouge Smoking, Sel d’Argent and French Bouquet.
Since the creation of Flair, we have worked for fifty-six brands and the team was expanded with two young perfumers: Camille Chemardin and Margaux Le Paih-Guérin, who quickly proved indispensable.
Premium Beauty News – Has Flair also opened up to olfactory art?
Anne-Sophie Behaghel – Yes, Sandra Barré joined us in 2022. Coming from a course in art history, she got closer to artists working with an olfactory dimension, to question the presence of smells in art, in the context a memoir, then a book. It has enriched our expertise with an artistic dimension, opening us to other worlds. Composing for an artistic project – where we perfume a space, materials – implies another way of formulating.
We founded the Flair Prize, to highlight the olfactory art. This year, for the second edition, a jury of professionals from the world of contemporary art and perfumery will select the project of an artist who will obtain a grant of 10,000 euros for the creation of an olfactory installation, including we will compose the perfume. The final work will be exhibited in the POUSH artist residency at the end of 2024. The call for applications will close on April 28. In addition to the prize, Flair also offers a podcast, dedicated to promoting the olfactory art.
Among Flair’s recent artistic projects, Camille Chemardin participated in Chloé Jeanne’s solo show, which took place in Tours. Around the theme of the visible presence, the question of the living, she has signed three perfumes, thought of as three visions of the Loire: plant, animal and mineral.
Premium Beauty News – Tell us about the team’s creative approach.
Anne-Sophie Behaghel – From the start, we wanted to work with an open organ, so as not to lock ourselves into a style dictated by a material supplier. We chose VO Aromatiques, a partner factory which produces perfumes and supplies our organ. Rarely, the company has agreed to open its compendium, in order to include materials from other sources. Like green vanilla from Stéphane Piquart (Behave), specialties from Albert Vieille or Biolandes. Today we work with a palette of 800 ingredients.
In terms of creative approach, I would say that artistic direction is essential. Listen to the creator tell us about his brief, his story, in his words. One of the strengths of our team is that we all have a distinct creative style. I like working with simple formulas, with overdoses of materials. I have an abstract “feather”. Where Amélie plays with longer formulas, with sensual, refined writing. Margaux works with gourmet and woody notes boldly, without denying elegance. Camille explores olfactory themes with passion, through balanced formulas.
Premium Beauty News – How do you look at the last ten years?
Anne-Sophie Behaghel – We are experiencing quiet but certain growth. We took the time to develop the company calmly. The craze for niche perfumery contributes to this. France remains a complicated market but nevertheless it is evolving. In Europe, the public is more and more interested in niche perfumery, the clientele is more specialized. Even for premium scented detergents, like Kerzon. This change is due, among other things, to the increase in the price of selective products, which leads the public to turn to a rarer offering. A phenomenon that the Covid pandemic has amplified.
The Flair studio now works on around fifty launches per year. Recently, the team signed Red, the new fragrance from Sora Dora, a Jovoy exclusive, and Angel’s Powder, the latest from Born To Stand Out, unveiled at Esxence. The “Flair girls” also designed the scents for the Versatile cosmetic range. And many other things to discover soon…
