Annick Ménardo: A Perfumer with a Scientific Mind
Annick Ménardo is a French perfumer who has worked for the fragrance firm Firmenich since 1991. She is known for her precise, exacting, and slightly rebellious style of composition, as well as her use of unusual and innovative ingredients. She has created or collaborated in the creation of over 80 fragrances for various brands, such as Dior, Bvlgari, Lolita Lempicka, and Le Labo.
Annick Ménardo was born in Cannes in 1959. She had an interest in science and psychiatry since her childhood, and studied organic chemistry as an undergraduate. She then decided to pursue perfumery, and enrolled in the French perfume academy ISIPCA in Versailles. She graduated in 1985, and joined the perfumery company Charabot, where she worked for three years. She then moved to the Netherlands, where she joined the fine fragrance lab at Quest International. In 1988, she joined the firm of PFW Aroma Chemicals, where she met perfumer Michel Almairac, who became her mentor and influenced her early work. In 1990, she moved to Geneva, where she joined the fragrance and flavor conglomerate Firmenich, where she still works today.
At Firmenich, Annick Ménardo has created or collaborated in the creation of many successful and memorable fragrances, such as:
• Bois d'Argent, a woody and powdery scent that was part of the Dior Privée collection, launched in 2004.
• Boss Bottled, a fresh and spicy scent that was the signature fragrance of Hugo Boss, launched in 1998.
• Black, a smoky and leather scent that was the first fragrance of Bvlgari, launched in 1998.
• Lolita Lempicka, a sweet and gourmand scent that was the debut fragrance of Lolita Lempicka, launched in 1997.
• Patchouli 24, a smoky and woody scent that was part of the Le Labo collection, launched in 2006.
Annick Ménardo is a perfumer who combines her scientific background and her artistic sensibility to create fragrances that are original, surprising, and captivating. She is not afraid to experiment with new and unconventional materials, such as aldehydes, oud, and leather. She is also known for her minimalist and elegant approach, where she uses only a few notes to create a complex and harmonious effect. She is a perfumer who challenges the norms and expectations of the perfume industry, and who continues to inspire and delight the world with her olfactory creations.