Pierre Negrin

Pierre Negrin is a highly acclaimed French perfumer born in Grasse, in the South of France, where he developed a passion for fragrances at a young age. Both of his grandfathers were traders in products and plants for the creation of fragrances, and Pierre still remembers discovering a world of fragrances in their workshops.

Pierre initially wanted to be a photographer, and was fascinated by the work of Robert Capa and Henri Cartier Bresson of Agence Magnum, as well as the landscapes of Ansel Adams. However, while studying physics and chemistry, he was offered an internship at a perfume workshop by a friend, and it was there that he discovered his true calling. "I suddenly realized that instead of expressing myself with light, I could express myself through scent," he says.

Pierre learned perfumery not at a specialized school, but in fragrance laboratories, and in the early 1990s he left France to work in Mexico, eventually moving to the United States. In 2008 he joined the ranks of renowned perfumers at Firmenich's New York Fine Fragrance Center.

Pierre has designed key fragrances for a range of notable brands, including Calvin Klein Encounter and Ralph Lauren Blue, but he is perhaps best known for his work with Amouage. Some of his most beloved scents for the brand include Interlude Man, Journey Woman and Portrayal Man.

For his excellence in creative perfumery, Pierre was awarded the International Prize for Fragrance Creation by the French Association of Perfumers in 1990. A fastidious, refined and reserved man, he is also an epicurean. He celebrates the small pleasures of life and is interested in a life of discipline, cycling daily and practicing yoga regularly. He does not appreciate ostentation or excess, but prefers what is simple and minimalist.

Pierre's love for his hometown of Grasse is evident in his olfactive memories of the area. He is particularly attached to earthy notes and strongly believes that the earth itself is the material and true origin of the fragrance industry. "It's always in my head. Your head can be in the clouds as long as your feet are on the ground!" he says.

Pierre compares his work to writing and is fascinated by images and how scents are perceived. He believes that even the humblest ingredients can result in a work of art when properly composed. Pierre's talent as a perfumer is only surpassed by his wisdom, and he remains one of the most respected and sought-after perfumers in the world today.

Company: Firmenich

Web: firmenich.com