Olivier Cresp, the visionary perfumer behind Maison Martin Margiela’s “From The Garden,” unveils the meaningful narrative inspiring the fragrance. Anindya Devy writes
A Family Tale Maison Martin Margiela’s latest fragrance, “From the Garden,” emerges from perfumer Olivier Cresp’s cherished moments with his son and memories of gardening with his father. Cresp then translated the familial warmth within those memories into an olfactory masterpiece that offers a profound emotive journey.
DAMAN: The fragrance “From the Garden” draws inspiration from your experiences with your son, Sebastien, as well as memories with your father. How does this intergenerational connection influence your creative process and the stories you aim to tell through the fragrance?
Olivier Cresp: My inspiration always comes from memories and moments that touch me. For “From the Garden,” something triggered a memory of gardening with my father and then with my son. The garden of our family home is a place that inspires me to feel good; it is a place where time seems to stand still. We stroll through the vegetable garden, gathering the fruits of our labor and just enjoying the atmosphere. It’s this inspiration that I’ve worked on for this fragrance, which I tried to translate into different notes to create a memorable and original scent. It’s a fragrance that’s very dear to me now.
DA: How did you end up picking the specific elements of this fragrance?
OC: I really wanted to capture the joyful memory of a sunny day in a garden. So, I chose notes that particularly evoked these moments of conviviality and sharing. I wanted people who wear this fragrance to be able to immerse themselves in their favorite moments spent in nature.
Patchouli is one of my favorite notes—so elegant and singular in the wide range of scents it can evoke. Depending on where it comes from, you can find patchoulis that are very green, and others that are very earthy, more profound. To create a fragrance that remains green and vertical, but also conveys the sensation of earthiness, we chose a variety that enables us to maintain this balance. This patchouli brings a real note of damp earth, but retains a fairly light, green side, with great freshness and an elegant character. Once again, it was a question of balance, and precise selection of raw materials, to be just right for the story we wanted to tell.
DA: Perfume-making is often considered an art form. How do you view the intersection between art and fragrance creation in your work?
OC: When I create a fragrance, I’m always looking for beauty, for a particular aesthetic. That’s where I find the intersection between art and my profession as a perfumer. Once I’ve found the aesthetic, I always focus on its strengths and unforgettable journey. Like a painter or a composer, I could put the finishing touches to my perfumes endlessly, because creation is always a work in progress. And that’s just as well, because it’s what drives me to surpass myself and constantly strive to create the most beautiful fragrances possible.