October 2023 highlights

Will there still be roses in 50 years' time? A group of engineers, scientists and designers has created a project that works to preserve plant species. Based on space research, Interlestellar Lab, a French-American startup, builds bioagricultural solutions that recreate different climates in which plants can be grown. The modules of these greenhouses make it possible to grow high-value raw materials for the fragrance, pharmaceutical and food industries in controlled environments and in a sustainable manner. They can be installed on Earth and in space.

Named BioPod, with its egg shape and striking purple lights, this 100 square metre greenhouse allows for resistance testing of different plant species, as well as creating the ideal conditions for the à la carte cultivation of plants. The project is of such interest to the perfume industry that fragrance manufacturer Robertet wanted to be a pioneer by acquiring a BioPod. " The arrival of this BioPod in Grasse illustrates Robertet's innovation strategy: relying on cutting-edge technologies to offer our customers the best natural products for a more sustainable industry," said Jerome Bruhat, CEO of the Robertet Group.


If there is one thing that characterises mankind, it is the ability to dream and to adapt to new situations. This is the only way we have been able to survive and advance as a species over the years. The latest frontier we face, climate change, is testing us to develop innovations to maintain our quality of life. "Climate change is a real emergency for the Earth, and we have only a small window to bring about positive change. We are developing a new framework for sustainable life on Earth and a test bed for future space missions," says Barbara Belvisi, founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab.


Natural ingredients are at the core of Robertet's business, which in March this year acquired the Spanish company Aroma Esencial, specialising in the processing of strategic natural materials for the fragrance industry. The company has a range of more than 1,700 materials that have been created at its 14 sites around the world. The addition of the first BioPod will enable the company to accelerate its knowledge of plants while reducing its environmental footprint in precision agriculture.

Young people in China are increasingly interested in perfume and in brands coming from the West, but the Asian country has its own fragrance culture, which DSM-Firmenich and Xun Laboratory are trying to uncover through a collaborative project called Villa Harmony.


The Villa Harmony project aims to connect tradition with modernity to recapture China's rich olfactory history, while introducing new approaches to fragrance creation with Chinese perfumery experts. " Customers in China will be able to enjoy a complete holistic experience where they will rediscover ancient Chinese fragrance ingredients for use in modern creations," explains Ilaria Resta, Global President, Perfumery & Ingredients, DSM-Firmenich.


Villa Harmony is located in the Jin Ze Art Center, where other traditional Chinese arts can be discovered, as well as a botanical garden that offers visitors a relaxing environment conducive to immersing themselves in the country's culture.

How many stories do you know about the Titanic? The tragic history of the ship is an inexhaustible source of stories that continue to attract our attention despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the shipwreck. The latest exhibition on the sunken ship in Paris (Titanic-The Exhibition) has surprised visitors by showing several perfume bottles carried by one of the passengers.


Adolphe Saalfeld was a perfume manufacturer from Manchester who was travelling to the United States to promote his creations. But as fate would have it, we only discovered these fragrances today. Alongside a variety of different objects recovered from the ship, 62 perfume vials were found. Can you imagine what these fragrances could have smelled like?


A team of experts from Givaudan, including Fragrance Safety specialist Neil Owen, analysed the scents found on the Titanic and discovered that they contained innovative combinations of ingredients, both natural (heliotrope, iris and rose) and synthetic (ionones).


We know what happened to the lost perfumes, but what was Saalfeld's fate? He was one of the survivors of the Titanic and, as he himself recounted, was able to see with his own eyes the iceberg against which the ship struck. The urgency to save his life meant that he left his belongings on the ship, including the fragrances, recovered from the bottom of the sea more than 100 years later and intact to everyone's astonishment.

The perfumer Quentin Bisch has been awarded the prestigious Phénix Prize (formerly known as the François Coty Prize), which in its 16th edition, held in Grasse on 16 October, was presided over by Michel Almairac and an exceptional jury made up of Émilie Coppermann, Delphine Jelk, Shymala Maisondieu, Dominique Ropion and Maurice Roucel.


Quentin Bisch's name is already part of the history of perfumery in golden letters. His prolific and successful career has led him to work for major fragrance houses - he is currently working for Givaudan - and to sign internationally famous compositions such as Good Girl by Carolina Herrera and 1 Million by Rabanne. The Phénix award underlines the recognition of the great perfumers of the sector for their talent.


This year's Honorary Award went to Isabelle Doyen, linked to the Goutal firm for which she has given soul to some of its best-loved perfumes.


Jérôme Épinette's interest in niche perfumery, where some of his main fragrances, created for Byredo, Atelier Cologne and Frapin, among others, are located, has earned him the International Award.