Parisian like the three generations before her, what Domitille loves most about the city is the fragrance of its gardens. If she had the time, she would walk up the boulevard Saint Germain to the Luxemburg gardens where, seated at a terrace she would take in all the news along with the ink of the newspaper. A scene dear to Cartier-Bresson, which would soon come to life with the arrival of the four men in her life – three sons and a husband – which make her both wife and mother, two roles she plays wonderfully well without ever forgetting the one she designated for herself – perfumer.
Domitille has always had an exceptional affinity for the world of perfume, which then became exclusive. First of all, it was a wonderful way to discover the world. When she was a child she spent two years in the New Hebrides, now called Vanuatu, and all the exoticism of a tropical paradise was the perfect education for her sense of smell. It soon became her favorite playground and she discovered a taste for wood and spice, the very heart of the island’s identity. And those same unforgettable feelings came rushing back to her when she found herself on the hot, humid tarmac of Port-Vila again, 30 years later.
Back in France, the calm and transparent Coral Sea was replaced by intermittent visits to the stormy Atlantic in Saint Jean de Luz during school vacations. But if the olfactive landscape had changed, the passion was always the same.
Once in college, she became aware of the ISIPCA course and so she went about getting the required degree in organic chemistry and obtained an entrance to the international institute. Then came the final step of working as a trainee and in a single interview, she found herself hired by IFF.
Since then she has continued her career, taking advantage of all the autonomy IFF gives its perfumers and with experience has honed her technique. She never loses sight of the fact that every day she needs to experience new fragrances and scents and this has become her anchor.
She has an avid interest in the history of art and frequently attends conferences at the Louvre, looking for new analogies. A study of the work of Malevitch turned her ideas towards everything white: a creamy white laurel from the IFF greenhouses pinned on the ivory powdered background of a heliotrope.
Extremely fond of very daring and unusual fragrance associations which remain very unexpected even when toned down, Domitille has a very vivid, salient style that is both powerful and contrasting. Just like the crime novels she devours or jazz in unexpected rhythms.
She loves beautiful materials, detests inattentiveness and “fragrance hopping” she creates new ideas that persist but are outside of current trends. She hopes her perfumes will always complement the silhouette like a thick, rich cashmere sweater worn without ever compromising its elegance. A never ending quest.
