Retired Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena On The Legacy That Took Years To Build

As the house perfumer of luxury brand, Hermès, Jean-Claude Ellena saw many ups and downs. In 2016, he decided to step off the roller coaster and passed on the royal reins he had so delicately preserved over the years. Here, he opens up about life as the ‘nose’ of one of the most iconic brands in the world and his final ode to Hermès— Eau de Néroli Doré.

Why did you pick this particular cologne as your last?

In the film The Leopard there’s a scene in which the actor, Burt Lancaster, dabs each earlobe with cologne. The bottle was an authentic period piece as the director, Luchino Visconti, had an eye for detail. The question that I asked myself was what might this eau de cologne smell like? This cologne speaks to men who don’t like to wear a fragrance but want to feel that they look good.

What will you remember most about your journey with the brand?

The scent of freedom—that aroma which opens the way for every venture without market constraints imprisoning us in banality. A quintessential Hermès perfume is a style which is reflected in freedom of expression.

What influenced you to take up this line of work?

My original influence was my paternal grandmother, a cleaner who lived in the country. With her I learnt about duty, temperance, patience, and how to pick jasmine.

How long does it take to create a perfume?

Time (duration) bears no relation to the quality of the creation. Duration is the length of time it takes to reflect. Sometimes it’s short; sometimes it’s long; sometimes it leads to nothing. Le Jardin en Méditerranée, for example, took 10 days. The Terre d’Hermès, on the other hand, took 10 months.

After all these years how do you keep your nose fresh? By olfactory cleansing?

By thinking fragrance rather than smelling it. For me, fragrance is a product of the intellect, just like music, literature, and painting.

Hermès has a long tradition of equestrian motifs. How does that filter into the perfumes?

There have been many fragrances related to saddlery. The first was Eau d’Hermès. (1951), the smell of the inside of a woman’s handbag. Then Bel Ami (1986), the smell of Russian leather; Kelly-Calèche (2007), a return to the theme of leather; and more recently Cuird’Ange (2014) in the Hermessence collection and Galopd’Hermès (2016) created by Christine Nagel. Not to mention names like Calèche (1961) and Equipage (1970).

How do you keep the legacy of the brand alive for a newer generation of customers?

By respecting the skills of its craftsmen and artists and not by consulting the market, which, like the mirror on the wall, will always reply with  “Yes, you are the best!”.

Are there any new notes left to discover in the world?

All those that I don’t know, and I’m certain that there are thousands of them. In the same way that astronomers find new galaxies every year.

What sort of journeys or experiences are required to discover these new notes?

Live with your nose attuned to your wishes.

How does the perfume line at Hermès compliment the accessories line?

I would like to answer with a comparison. I remember reading L’Argent by Charles Péguy, a noted French poet, essayist, and editor who wrote this about craftsmen—These labourers did not serve.  They worked. They had honour, unconditional as honour always is. A chair spindle had to be well made. It went without saying.It was of the essence. It did not have to be well made for wages (...). It did not have to be well made for the boss, nor for connoisseurs nor for the boss’s customers. It had to be well made by itself, in itself, for itself, in its very being (...).The fragrances are crafted with the same care as all Hermès objects, whatever they are, with the same spirit of excellence and quality. This is what creates the connection. It goes much deeper than a solely commercial approach.