Edmond Roudnitska
"If it was a perfume, it was aspirational, with the main aim of uplifting something in us, like any art form."
Born in 1905 in Nice, Edmond Roudnitska is one of the most influential perfumers of the 20th century. He began his career in the 1920s, studying perfumery at Roure Bertrand in Grasse, before becoming an independent designer.
Convinced that perfume was an art in its own right, he revolutionised the way fragrances were composed. He advocated a minimalist, uncluttered approach, favouring clarity and balance in the formulas. His collaboration with Parfums Dior in the 1940s marked a decisive turning point.
In 1947, he created Eau Sauvage, a masterpiece of freshness and sophistication that became a classic of men's fragrance. He also created Diorissimo (1956), an ode to lily of the valley, and Le Parfum de Thérèse, created for his wife and kept secret until it was marketed by Frédéric Malle.
Based in Cabris, in the south of France, he founded Art et Parfum, a structure dedicated to independent creation, and trained a few hand-picked students, including Pierre Bourdon.
Roudnitska leaves a major legacy in the industry, having defended perfumery as an art form all his life, in the same way as music or painting. He died in 1996, but his influence remains intact.
