A Garden Of Dreams: Interview With The Perfumer Valérie Madrid

La Closerie des Parfums is a tribute to these secret botanical gardens in Paris, which takes its name from these gardens set up in Paris in the eighteenth century. Trees, plants, and flowers create an array of aromatic alcoves: the Closerie is a garden of the senses and an inspiration door. These scents combine the refinement of the senses with a playful imagination. Madrid family is located between Paris, the capital of traditions, and Bordeaux city known for its gastronomy and wine, the family cultivates a taste for expertise and travel. Between French tradition and dreams from afar, Valérie Madrid imagined her collections around a simple idea: the union of unique ingredients and spices from around the world.

Valérie, tell us a bit about your background and how you (and your family) came to found La Closerie des Parfums.

My uncle Antoine and my father Hervé Madrid created their first perfumery workshop with PACOMA Creator perfumer, in 1972, 50 years ago already. I grew up in this exciting world from a very young age. I joined the family business at the age of 23, in 1996, when I patiently learned the art of perfumery. A family passion that has become my legacy, I trained in 2016 at Cinquième Sens, a prestigious Parisian perfume school. Building on this experience, I rediscovered my childhood dream, La Closerie des Parfums was born in 2019.

How do you decide which one of many formulas will be the right one for production?

I like selecting formulas that touch the senses and refresh our memories. The recipe of La Closerie des Parfums is precise and includes a compination of the noble and spice ingredients from around the world. This duality of the ingredient's choice and its spice results from an exchange with our perfumers. Teamwork and sharing, I am looking for the perfect balance in this recipe. First, I discuss and select my ingredients with independent experts, then I test all the fragrances. The Madrid brothers also help me to make a final selection.

What excites you about the newest fragrance in your collection?

What fascinates me is sharing our creations' discoveries with a passionate audience. Formulas have plenty of ingredients from natural origin, which can change by applying to the skin. What ingredient will be revealed? What will come out of it? What type of scient will be more dominant? So many questions that ultimately will not have answers… The new horizons reappear through the creative process, as many possibilities emerge, knowing that our skin remains an essential vector to create an exclusive fragrance.

What is the olfactory signature of your brand?

As you know, we celebrate noble materials from Haute Parfumerie that we combine with spice ingredients from all around the world. As already mentioned, our fragrances have a spicy touch. My primary role is to «push» the master perfumers so that they ensure the maximum presence of the spice ingredients without breaking the perfect balance of the fragrances. In addition, our formulas are rich in raw materials. We focus on a spicy touch in each of our creations and as you can recognize in the name of our fragrances:

Two new spices will be in the spotlight, I prefer to keep the secret of their name.
To satisfy your curiosity I can just tell you that these spices come from Asia. The launch of this fragrances is scheduled for May 2022.

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What do you hope people will experience when wearing your scents?

I want our perfumes to be identified with the Gardens of the senses and appeal to open-mindedness. I work on a recognizable signature to create curiosity and awake the memories. We all know a story about spices. Through La Closerie des Parfums, I invite people to identify themselves with their life stories.

What is your favorite part of being a perfumer?

What motivates me is creating our formulas enjoying the freedom of expression. I like presenting my ideas to our master perfumers without giving them specific rules. I let them show their artistic skills. For me, it’s a long moment of suspense and the pleasant surprise of discovering the new formula. However, full satisfaction comes at the end of the work, when you wear your new created fragrance and hear: “Wow, what you smell good… What is the name of this perfume?” and proudly answer that it is a newly created fragrance of La Closerie des Parfums.

What do you envision for La Closerie des Parfums over the next five years?

Continue our experiments with the new spices, which has only just begun. New bases of prestigious ingredients, unique spices, new olfactory journeys… Also, we lern more about nomadic boxes that will bring new horizons to discover. Finally, we’ll discover a spice as a perfume. And I insist on our new perfume ritual, highlighted by our Oud and Rose mists. Our mists invite you to a daily routine with their discreet dosage and small bottle. Applied alone or in addition to one of the fragrances of La Closerie des Parfums, they will reveal the intensity of Rose and Oud. These mists strengthen the heart of your perfume, making it unique.

What advice would you give those wanting to work in your field?

To feel happy in their creations, they must believe in themselves and justify their work. They must invest time and energy in their projects. They should be able to tell their story, share their know-how and, above all, living their passion.

Perfume: La Closerie des Parfums

Instagram: @lacloseriedesparfums

Pictures: PR