Olivier Cresp’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’

Olivier Cresp, master perfumer at Firmenich, has been announced as the Fragrance Foundation’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Perfumer Award recipient.

One of the perfumery world’s most distinguished figures, Olivier has hundreds of your favourite creations under his belt, including Midnight Poison, Estée Lauder Modern Muse (read on for your opportunity to try this one!) Penhaligon’s Peoneve and Juniper Sling, the utterly legendary Thierry Mugler Angel, Paco Rabanne Black XS, and one of the quartet of noses behind YSL’s Black Opium.

Quite the roll call, and that doesn’t even begin to list his successes!

Cresp was named a master perfumer in 2006, joined the Firmenich team in 1992 and was honored with the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 2012.

Congrat­ulating Olivier Cresp for his ‘well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Perfumer Award,’ Fragrance Foundation president Linda G. Levy went on to say they were ‘…thrilled to celebrate his artistry, passion, and contributions to the fragrance industry.’

Jerry Vittoria, president of fine fragrance worldwide for Firmenich, and chairman of the Fragrance Foundation Board, joined in the congratulations, commenting that ‘Perfumery has always been at the heart of Olivier’s family heritage.’ Vittoria went on to say that Cresp’s catalogue of work has been invaluable not only for fragrance lovers, but to inspire his fellow perfumers. ‘Working across generations, with a passion for constantly shaping new ideas, he has not only become one of the greatest creators of our time, but also one of the most sought-after mentors in our industry. We are so proud to see this recognition of his outstanding legacy.’

You can read more about Olivier Cresp (including his top tips on how to improve your own sense of smell) in our exclusive interview with him.

And why not treat your nose to the work of this genius perfumer to smell for yourself why he so deserves this lifetime achievement award? Many of you, we’re sure, have tried the unforgettable Angel, but how about this modern interpretation of an ambrée style floral…?

Estée Lauder’s Modern Muse was another of Olivier Cresp’s brilliant creations – a lush floral scent with enough woody swagger to intrigue your senses throughout the day. Warmly magnetic, it could well become your go-to from the boardroom to the bar… Try it in our Fashion, Fabric & Fragrance Discovery Box.

Written by Suzy Nightingale

 

Happy Birthday! Nina Pop celebrates ten years of fun and fantasy with Olivier Cresp

We can hardly believe it’s already ten years since master perfumer Olivier Cresp was comissioned to create the original ‘magical perfume’, Nina. Based on the cheekily chic Parisian fashion house of Nina Ricci, the character of the fragrance itself was inspired by the couture atelier – a French house synonymous with charm, innocence and joie de vivre.

Cresp created an upliftingly playful floral with a sparkling (almost fizzy) heart. Wrapped in toffee-apple scented twists, and mingling the freshness of citrus fruit with a lightly skin-musk-y, woody dry down, Nina became a worldwide success. The passing years have seen some further twists in the tale and a number of re-inventions, but this has to be the most fun incarnation of the bottle yet.

Now, Nina is going pop-crazy for her tenth birthday, with a re-imagined pop-art inspired bottle by French artist Coco. Bright splashes of colour decorate the bottle of Nina Pop.

Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 13.57.15Nina Ricci say: ‘Once upon a time, there was a princess who… Stop! An arty fairytale doesn’t start with “once upon a time”. It’s here and now. There’s a young woman dreaming of femininity. A fantasy that exists, thanks to her, dreaming with her eyes open. A tale where you can go home whenever you want. Where the established rules have been shaken up. And where you make up your own dangers.

For her birthday, Nina has invited her hopes, her emotions and her desires. Those for yesterday, those for today, and those for tomorrow, brought together in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. Music booms out. Nina dances. The dance plays thrills and spins. The dance lives out dreams and memories, memories of who she was and who she will be.’

Screen Shot 2016-02-04 at 13.57.53‘Nina. At each turn, and each laugh that pours out, you make a new dream appear. Of yourself, perhaps? A hint of some unquenched desire. Ten years ago, ten years from now, never mind, everything is here. Nina is seeking herself out, unveiling, surprising, testing and rediscovering herself.

Ten years is an eternity when it comes to blowing out a few candles.

Nina does so. And at that very moment, for Nina is a magical perfume, she feels more alive, and freer than ever before. Breathing. Biting into the apple of love. Nina. Your life’s ahead of you.
Have a lovely birthday, Nina.’

And so say all of us…

SL15_LL_NINA RICCI_POPNina Pop 10th Birthday Edition £42 for 50ml eau de toilette
At John Lewis

What the noses know: in-depth ‘nose’ interviews with four leading perfumers

Are you fascinated by the art of perfumery…? We certainly are. So we thought we’d just remind you about ‘THE NOSES’ section of perfumesociety.org, where we’re building an encyclopaedia of interviews we’ve carried out with the world’s leading perfumers, with plenty more appearing over the coming weeks and months…

In fact, we’ve just added four more: the quartet behind the new YSL Black Opium fragrance – Nathalie Lorson, Marie Salamagne, Honorine Blanc and the very esteemed Olivier Cresp.

Click here to read their stories, their inspirations – and their best-loved (and most-hated) smells…

(You might also like to click here for a little video interview with these noses…)