Almost thirty years later, the floral bouquet is back with a more natural, more delicate and less powerful trail. It is fully expressed using a vintage visual identity in Gucci Bloom by Gucci, as well as in Idole by Lancôme, Libre by Yves Saint-Laurent and even L’Interdit by Givenchy. This trend is part of consumers’ desire to smell the full aroma of the raw materials and their natural qualities in order to reconnect with nature. Does the niche perfumery sector have an influence? Probably, because this sector is developing more and more, while aiming to create high end fragrances. Moreover, it is showing a greater interest in the responsible sourcing of raw materials and their origins for more transparency and with a view to protecting our planet. With a passion for flowers, Symrise master perfumer Émilie Coppermann explains how she likes to express this new floral aspect in her creations.
How do you work with floral notes and what is your specific signature?
Émilie Coppermann - To avoid creating a classic floral bouquet, I particularly enjoy discovering and playing with different angles in order to fashion something that is original. For example, I use a high concentration of galbanum or lenstic to make it more natural, or even spices, such as ginger or woody notes to give the bouquet a more modern dimension. The mineral aspect also brings a contemporary appeal. I also enjoy giving floral notes an unexpected facet.
Which flower do you find the most difficult to work with and why?
Émilie Coppermann - Rose absolute, due to its old-fashioned connotation and extremely common aspect. It has a phenyl ethyl alcohol side that makes it smell quite cheap. It requires more complexity to enhance the olfactory appeal. Over the past few years, rose has become fashionable again. I love how Christine Nagel created 1001 roses by Lancôme. She conducted a sublime experiment using rose absolute combined with powerful woody and ambery notes. A simple, yet absolutely beautiful formula.
If a man were to offer you a bouquet, what flowers should absolutely be included, and which ones must be avoided?
Émilie Coppermann - I love the wild bouquets, which even contain weeds. A bouquet that mixes flowers and genres, like flowers surrounded by sprigs of mint or basil. My favorite florist is Suznjev Yannick. He creates extremely beautiful bouquets, while maintaining the wild aspect of nature and offers highly unexpected compositions. I enjoy being surprised and discovering new flowers, which is what he does.
I don’t like lilies, which have a very invasive scent and I’m not a big fan of rose bouquets. Unfortunately, roses sold in florist shops have no scent, which I find it very unfortunate as they are such beautiful flowers. I prefer flowers that grow in gardens. When my mother brings me roses from her garden, their delightful fragrance gives me a surge of emotion.
I love to grow jasmine on my balcony. In the summer, I make jasmine bouquets for my home that add a fabulous aroma in my house. I also adore mimosa, which brightens up the winter.
