Jean-François Laporte: In the Name of Perfume

The fragrance creator for Maître Parfumeur et Gantier (Master Perfumer and Glovemaker) cultivates a taste for what's off the beaten track: here is the story of his unique journey.

By Mario de Castro . 26/03/01

Make way for nature

While marketing is today's trend, he pursues his quest for scents by sailing outside of the mainstream. Brilliant, flamboyant and unconventionnel, Jean-François Laporte embodies a certain 17th-century taste for elegance.
He seems to have found his balance in nature, which provides his inspiration. He has been involved with perfume since the age of four, thanks to his paternal grandmother, who taught him to prefer the smell of flowers, leaves and fruit to wooden toys.
Though in no way destined to enter Haute Couture, Jean-François Laporte has devoted his life to dressing women in the unique scent of his intuition.

Gloves make a comeback

In January 1989, he became Master Perfumer and Glovemaker, revived an accessory that had almost become obsolete. His extra-fine gloves imbued with iris powder and essence of rose are the epitome of refinement. They bring us back to the the 17th century, the Golden Age of the trade, under a charter granted by Louis XIV. At that time perfumed gloves went hand in hand with heady fragrances, hair powder and face. All these elements are sumptuously expressed and interpreted in the creations of this fine connoisseur of luxury.

Down memory lane

Jean-François Laporte has recreated a universe of forgotten sensations in his Parisian boutiques located at 84 bis rue de Grenelle and 5 rue des Capucines. That's where our explorer of the senses delves into olfactory memories to come up with unusual new perfumes. Thanks to a perfume organ featuring a range of 600 scents, the perfumes are built up gradually, note by note, like a symphony of emotion. Jean-François Laporte is one of the initiated: he sniffs a little, keeps his mouth shut a lot, and reveals things suddenly.
A garden-lover, Jean-François Laporte draws his inspiration from wherever his walks take him. His Eau de Camélia Chinois, for example, evokes an extremely rare species that he cultivates with love in his garden. His strolls bring to life creations that are as fresh and transparent as they are warm and sensual.
Scented clothes for the home, majestic eaux for men, perfumed details for scent-lovers are among the treasures that this Maître Parfumeur creates for "those who seek something unusual, both authentic and eccentric."