The Nose Knows

Joy, 1000, Eau de Patou, Sublime... all those fragrances bear just one name: Jean Patou, one of the oldest houses, and one
of the last three (along with Guerlain and Chanel) to have kept an in-house perfume creator. This unique situation inspired us to pay a call on the 38-year-old "nose": Jean-Michel Duriez, a happy young man whose childhood dream has come true!

By Mathilde Gendron . 20/07/01

Jean-Michel Duriez threw the doors to his laboratory open wide for us. This is where Patou's most sublime fragrances are assembled and perfected. jean-Michel became the "watchdog" in 1997 when he replaced Jean Kerleo, the house's master-perfumer for thirty years.

The quality of raw materials is crucial

So this perfume-lover created "Un amour de Patou", a tribute to a romantic and mischievous youth. The fragrance mingles rose, jasmine, privet blossoms and osmanthus. This "perfectly Patou" perfume was an extraordianarily succesful first try! "In order to create a good perfume, the quality of raw materials is crucial. At the house of Patou, we use great quantities of rose and jasmine, and part of my job is to make sure that the quality of the flowers always remains the same." The slightest variation would be disastrous to the fragrances. That is why Patou owns fields of jasmine and roses in Grasse, where flower fields are disappearing because of their high cost.

Waiting for a new olfactive wave

Mindful of the house's great tradition, Jean-Michel Duriez admits nevertheless that, "Today's perfumery is greatly influenced by trends, and has to reflect society". And he adds, "Nowadays, perfumers are more attuned to marketing trends than than olfactive trends. There is a new wave of ephemeral perfumes or 'niche market' brands, but no dominant olfactive trends." So the world of perfumery is waiting for a new wave, just like in the 80's when extremely powerful fragrances appeared, or in the early 90's with the introduction of aquatic or "environmental" fragrances.

The world: a source of inspiration

Most of the time, when perfumers compose perfumes, they like to lock themselves up in a laboratory, cut off from the outside world. Jean-Michel Duriez prefers to live outside as much as possible. "That is where I draw my inspiration," he confides. His creations are often inspired by his dreams and olfactive visions.
Jean-Michel Duriez found his calling as a student, at a train station shrouded in twilight. The colors - orange, pink and blue, - smells, and the overall atmosphere of a magnificent end to a sunny day, gave him an olfactive vision. But the scent was not of this world. Its sole existence was in his mind. This wonderful, perfect fragrance, "Became a dream I'm always chasing after, it's what keeps me going."

Ten years of experience before

"Perfumer is a fascinating profession, but it involves a lot of work. It generally takes 10 years experience before you can "sign" a perfume. Loving perfume isn't enough. You must be also patient and persevering, too. But anyone can have a great 'nose' and develop a sensibility for smells. How? Simply by smelling raw materials to train one's sense of smell."

Jean Patou used to say: "I believe that each of us should be a man of his time." Jean-Michel Duriez has appropriated this motto to the delight of all those who love perfume.