Grasp Perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux of Givaudan
Fragrance lovers attain the purpose of loving and recognizing the work of their favourite perfumers simply as avid readers consider sure writers communicate on to them. Many a perfumista counts Rodrigo Flores-Roux amongst their perfumer crushes. Mr. Flores-Roux is the Senior Inventive Perfumer and Vice President for Perfumery in Givaudan’s New York Studio. As to be anticipated of a botanist he has a deep ardour for pure substances, particularly these of his residence nation, Mexico. He’s a grasp of citrus and florals. If somebody requested me to outline Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s work in a single phrase I’d inform them I wanted three: joyous, elegant and sensual – usually throughout the identical fragrance. It makes me smile to assume the title of one in every of his first signed perfumes, Clinique Completely happy (created with Jean Claude Delville in 1997) has confirmed to be prophetic. Final month I used to be lucky sufficient to have a protracted dialog with Rodrigo Flores-Roux by which he answered a seemingly unimaginable query, “For those who may inform ÇaFleureBon readers which three of your creations they need to be sporting, what would they be?” Beneath are his three decisions offered in chronological order with good dose “contained in the thoughts of the perfumer”.
John Varvatos and Rodrigo-Flores Roux, 2019 © The Perfume Basis
This yr is the tenth anniversary of the discharge of John Varvatos Artisan, the fourth and nonetheless some of the standard fragrances within the line that Rodrigo Flores-Roux and John Varvatos created collectively. Mr. Varvatos wished so as to add a special form of scent to the gathering; he dreamed of one thing that may evoke the sensation of escaping town in a convertible and buying and selling your leather-based jacket for a contemporary, white cotton shirt.
If Mr. Flores-Roux had taken the transient actually he would have composed a a lot completely different perfume. As a substitute it was the sensation of pleasure and freedom that spoke to the perfumer. Whereas resting in his room within the Lodge de Lutece in Paris the fragrance shaped itself in Mr. Flores-Roux’s thoughts. He rushed to the desk and jotted down the method on the small lodge notice pad. (The scribbled define now hangs framed on John Varvatos’s workplace wall.)
Conventional piñata in Alcoman, Mexico. Picture through México Desconocido
After only a few weeks of refinement Rodrigo Flores-Roux had bottled a reminiscence from his childhood in Mexico, the thrilling second when a Christmas piñata is smashed and ripe fruits like the standard winter mandarins and tejocotes fall to the bottom amongst clay and paper. Citrus is king on this perfume and once I put on it really feel as if I’m experiencing practically limitless sides of the oranges within the piñata. The tart opening leads right into a juicy fragrant stage with an accentuated floralcy. There was one high quality I sensed however couldn’t fairly pin down. Rodrigo Flores-Roux defined to me that the mandarin peel accommodates two or three sulphur compounds and he made certain to incorporate them in his citrus accord to make it a very naturalistic. Though marketed to males John Varvatos definitely could be very wearable for ladies, particularly in heat climate. My solely want for it, as with many citrus-centric fragrances, can be that the great thing about the fruit notes lasted longer on my pores and skin. Nonetheless the gorgeous woody and softly musky dry down is definitely pleasant. Notes: Tangelo, Sicilian Clementine, Mexican Mandarin, Thyme, Marjoram, Lavandin, Orange blossom, Indian Murraya, Nigerian and Chinese language gingers, Purple ginger, Georgywood (® Givaudan), Belambre (™ Givaudan), Kephalis (Givaudan), Serenolide musk
Solar drenched pores and skin, Seventies fashion. “Nude for Pentax”, 1975. © Helmut Newton
Arquiste Ella (2016): ELLA is one in every of Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s most written about fragrances and for excellent purpose. It’s a growly, horny chypre with each an elegant modernity and classic vibe. The inspiration for the perfume was the sultry disco scene of Acapulco within the 1970’s. The lady, Ella, is dancing, sweating, smoking, consuming and discovering an Él to kiss. Mr. Flores-Roux could be very pleased with the ghost of a masculine notice within the fragrance which conveys that carnal connection between our man and lady. As I discussed Rodrigo Flores-Roux is impressed by the flora of his native Mexico. On this case it was the flowers within the cover of the aromatic cannonball bushes he handed by whereas climbing as much as his stepmother’s Acapulco hillside residence. Headspace expertise allowed him to seize their scentprint so they may mingle with a brilliant rose and jammy jasmine.
Carlos Huber, founding father of Arquiste, testing with Flores-Roux over champagne, Saint Germain-en-Laye, France 2017. Picture courtesy of Arquiste
For those who haven’t but worn ELLA please do. It’s a slinky, horny fragrance that may seduce you (and maybe one other) whereas it transports you to a fantasy seaside the place nothing is forbidden. Notes: Cannonball tree flower, Angelica root, Carrot seed, Turkish rose, Jasmine, Cardamom, Black buckwheat honey, Ambergris, Patchouli, Civet, Vetiver, Cigarette smoke accord, Chypre accord
Broaden your thoughts to carry the intense and the darkish directly. “Common Division of the Airplane IV”, 1957 © The M.C. Escher Firm B.V
Santi Burgas Palindrome II (2017): Rodrigo Flores-Roux was essentially the most animated and excited when chatting with me about Santi Burgas Palindome II, the scent he wears most frequently himself. The idea of the three fragrances within the Palindrome collection performs with the way you learn a perfume. In Palindrome II Mr. Flores-Roux sees himself as having a dialog with us the wearers. He challenges us to expertise the antithetical properties in notes we expect we all know. There’s a central core of a candy, animalistic patchouli accord round which different notes orbit and which lives all through the time spent in your pores and skin. There’s lasting depth to the highest bergamot notice and sweetness to the labdanum that’s evident from the beginning. We want to have the ability to maintain each in our minds directly, like these black and white drawings in which you’ll be able to see each a black vase AND two white profiles concurrently.
Hidden area inside one in every of NYC’s ubiquitous rooftop water towers made stable. © 2019 Rachel Whiteread
Rodrigo Flores-Roux was impressed by the work of visible artist Rachel Whiteread and her sculptures that give solidity to the damaging areas we reside with, comparable to casting the inside of a room in plaster in order that the area we count on to expertise as air is now concrete. Don’t be postpone by the mental train of this fragrance. It’s a scrumptious, spicy, leather-based perfume properly doused with rum. It’s a puzzle you’ll want to put on repeatedly to provide you time to work out its many strikes. Notes: Calabrian bergamot, angelica root, sugar cane, white and black pepper, Nigerian ginger, Ceylonese cardamom, Castoreum, Chinese language osmanthus, Maltese labdanum, cinnamon tree leaves, leather-based accord, patchouli, Mexican vanilla
Marianne Butler, Senior Contributor
Editor’s Be aware: Michelyn met Rodrigo in 2008 at a Varvatos occasion in NYC. He’s an avid classic perfume collector and when she has a query on something fragrance associated she asks “Rodripedia”. She was the primary blogger to interview Rodrigo to one of the best of her data (for one more web site). Rodrigo was Michelyn’s decide for perfumer of the yr 2018.
Disclaimer: A pattern of Palindrome II was kindly offered by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and his workforce at Givaudan. Thanks to Bryson on the John Varvatos boutique within the Oculus, NYC for a pattern of John Varvatos Artisan. Arquiste Ella is in my very own assortment. As all the time, my opinions are my very own.
Palindrome II (back and front), courtesy of Santi Burgas
Because of the generosity of Santi Burgas and Arquiste we’ve got a bottle of Santi Burgas Palindrome II (USA or EU Solely
or
Arquiste ELLA for one registered reader.
To be eligible, please depart a remark saying what strikes you concerning the three perfumes Mr. Flores-Roux has chosen and which of the 2 you wish to win (nation restrictions). Additionally please inform us if in case you have a favourite fragrance created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux. Draw closes 6/eight/2019
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Please comply with the hyperlinks to learn extra about a number of the highlights of Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s work in a number of of our critiques: Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale, Arquiste Sydney Rock Pool, Frassaï Verano Porteño, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, 2010 reformulation of Houbigant’s Fougere Royale, Le Galion L’Ame Perdue , and Aether Suprae.
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