So few people in the world today make a living from the profession of perfumer, those who become true icons in this way are even rarer. Nevertheless, such was the destiny of Michel Almairac. He is the perfumer that fashion houses are currently snapping up to give their brand a real olfactory identity. Michel Almairac seems endowed with an innate gift for olfactory creativity associated with extraordinary know-how. A look back at his career, his works and his sources of inspiration …Michel Almairac’s beginnings in perfumeryMichel Almairac was born in Grasse, in 1963. This Provencal town located not far from Nice has been considered the world capital of perfumery since the 16th century. Its landscapes are crisscrossed by immense fields of flowers and there are many centuries-old perfumeries to be installed there.
Thus, the profession of perfumer has always seemed obvious to Michel Almairac. Nevertheless, the latter said with irony: “Two things allowed me to become a perfumer: living in Grasse and being a dunce”. Very early on, he developed a passion for smells, iris rhizomes, flower baskets, distillation methods, etc. On the other hand, he was not at all attracted by chemistry, an education that was nevertheless essential in this profession. Failing to acquire this scientific culture, he then showed extreme perseverance. He went to find the management of the Roure house, which was said to be thinking of reopening its perfume school. He attended and offered to rehabilitate their training center during the summer in exchange for being able to integrate their course. Against all odds, the Ensign accepted. This is how Michel Almairac made his debut in perfumery.
The notoriety of Michel Almairac
At the end of his teaching, Michel Almairac was one of the most talented students at his training center. He was then selected by Jean Amic, boss of Roure, to join the Parisian subsidiary of the company. He therefore went to the capital in 1978. Little by little, he made a name for himself in the profession and today he believes that it is above all thanks to his creativity. For him, perfumery is not the result of mathematical or physical formulas. “Perfumery is a world of dreams and not of rigorous formulas,” he says. I think that by trying too hard to look for chemists, we are missing out on talented people. »Thus, very invested in the transmission of his knowledge, he is particularly committed to the teaching of future perfumers, regularly taking under its wing young people with atypical profiles. At the same time, Michel Almairac worked for several companies such as Créations Aromatique or Drom. Today, he is nevertheless part of the Robertet workforce, a company he joined at the end of the 90s.
Michel Almairac has so many bestsellers to his credit today that it would be impossible to name them all. He has notably worked for the Azzaro, Bottega Venetta, Burberry, Chloé, Armani, Gucci, Escada, Lalique, Montblanc, Rochas, Shiseido and Zadig & Voltaire brands.
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