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Isabelle Doyen

Isabelle Doyen is the perfumer behind the creations of the house of Annick Goutal. But she also sometimes composes for other brands.

Isabelle, tell us a little bit about yourself, about the fragrances you’ve created. And about your unusual collaboration with Annick Goutal.

Let’s say that I think of myself as being almost entirely self-taught. I graduated from Isipca (Isip at the time), in 1982. Back then, it was a three-year degree (N.B. now it’s 5), and I thought the training was a bit ‘light.’ As soon as I graduated I had the chance to work on my own; I went for it without a moment’s hesitation. It wasn’t always easy, but it was fascinating at first to explorer this world all on my own. Some time later, I met Annick, who was also self-taught. We were very different, but we got along right away, probably because we complemented each other. We both knew we ‘smelled things the same way,’ which is pretty rare, in my opinion. Together we “gave birth” to some wonderful things, including a lot of laughter. We would pick a theme (we were enthusiastic for the same olfactory concepts, so the range of ideas we could pick and choose from at the beginning of a new adventure was very wide!). She taught me a lot, especially about being demanding. I have always been independent. With Camille, Annick’s daughter with whom I work now, Goutal is ‘our house’. But I still design fragrances for other houses sometimes – it’s a different kind of adventure. I’m thinking particularly of my experience with Les Nez (N.B. a new alternative brand that Isabelle designed 3 fragrances for).

What influences you as a designer?

I’m tempted to say everything. I breathe, therefore I smell, therefore I’m influenced. Influenced by nature, by places, by people’s smells, by the men I love. And also by words, and by ideas. Maybe by music, too, though less, probably. For Les Nez, the common theme in all of our creations was a book exchange. The fragrances were elaborated in terms of our enthusiastic response to the books. Those were some extraordinarily poetical moments.

How can we recognize one of your fragrances? What are, in your opinion, their distinguishing characteristics?

My formulas are never very long. I don’t like to over-embellish things. I like hard-hitting ideas, tossed out like a challenge, and if it’s a bit brutal, well, that’s life. In terms of ingredients, I have a soft spot for rose, hedione (*) and lately, certain vetiver notes. On the other hand, there are some notes that I never use (it feels like they’re kicking me right in the stomach) like dihydromyrcenol (**) for instance. I have to admit I’m not a big fan of men’s fougère scents either.

Do you think that being a woman influences the way you create… and if so, in what way?

Being a woman probably influences my work. But the most important thing, in my opinion, is the creative effort.

What other designer’s fragrance(s) do you wish you had created? And why?

I would have loved to have designed Reminiscence’s Patchouli. Why? Sorry, that’s a secret. Otherwise, there are some bases from the house of De Laire, like Saxon moss, Prunol (***) and the tobacco iso. They’re real gems in my book.

How do you envisage the future for fragrances? Do you have any hopes for the future?

I don’t really think about it. I’ve probably got my nose too close to my own little grindstone. I just hope to find and to try new ways of creating.

* a very light floral note reminiscent of jasmine and tea
** an aromatic note that evokes a clean smell of lime and lavender
*** a fruity- chypre accord composed by Edmond Roudnitska