Claire Liegient
"Nature, but also stumbling upon unusual combinations of ingredients, especially in cuisine. This is what drives and inspires me on a daily basis."
Claire’s journey to perfume is one of passion, determination, and heritage. Born in the Champagne region, Claire spent her childhood in her father’s restaurant, who was a reputed chef and wine expert. Growing up in this unique environment meant that she was used to discerning the scents and smells of the great champagnes and the cooking ingredients from a very young age. For her, wine could stir up intense emotions and so she naturally gravitated towards studying oenology. “I already knew that I wanted to create, and I was excited by the art of composing blends.”
One day, she happened to read a newspaper article about perfumers. This led her to a trade fair where she had the opportunity to meet Jean-Paul Guerlain. Blown away by the discovery of a rich and fast-moving world that combines all her passions, Claire had found her calling! She joined the ISIPCA fragrance school in 2007 and trained at Symrise as an apprentice. Right after graduation, she started her career at IFF as a scent design associate for a few months in Hilversum, Netherlands. Subsequently she trained under perfumer Pierre Wargnye in IFF Paris for two years. She then passed an internal selection exam to become a perfumer, going on to fine fragrance apprentice in Paris with Dominique Ropion as a mentor for four years. In the meanwhile, Claire co-founded a Parisian niche fragrances store called Nose in 2012. Then she worked in IFF New York, IFF-LMR in Grasse and finally IFF Sao Paulo. Each of these places allowed Claire to deepen her knowledge and harness the full potential of her talent, under the guidance of five excellent mentors.
In 2023, she joined the Takasago Fine Fragrance Studio. For Claire, the art of perfume composition is “a fine balance between intuition and a touch of audacity, combined with a complete mastery over the technical and aesthetic aspects of formulation.” Like the best chefs, this free spirit brings her love for natural ingredients to her work, which she carefully selects and combines with meticulous precision. Alongside nature, the parallels between haute cuisine, wine-making and perfume composition continue to inspire her creations – all of which are horizons that Claire continues to explore.
