Gabriela Chelariu
Her introduction to the fragrance industry was working in the research lab of an aroma chemicals company during her last year of school. She then visited Grasse and "It all crystallized. Suddenly I truly understood the role of a perfumer. This world became fully alive for me, and I immediately knew that. somehow, this would be my life."
Born in a small town in Romania, Gabriela Chelariu grew up in a restrictive social regime and far removed from the world of perfumes. Yet it was a place imbued with the scents of nature, and life was marked by the ebb and flow of the seasons.
"It was a way of getting to know the world," says Gabi. "Spring was a mixture of the freshness of the lingering snow with the new shoots of vegetation and the damp earth. In June, the lime tree blossomed: I knew that summer was coming and that the holidays would soon begin. I also remember the smell of my mother when she came home from the cold in winter: she smelled of musk and fresh….. "
Her grandmother was also a big influence. "She taught me the love of nature and showed me what the earth can give us if we pay attention to it and take care of it. Her garden had peonies, lilies, tobacco plants, linden and armoise. I used to pick the tomatoes and, from the age of 11, my sister and I would take them to the village to sell them at the market. The scent of green tomato leaves permeated my clothes…. my hair… my skin. That was really my first fragrance.
Gabriela moved to the United States in 2000 and became a perfumery lab assistant, with the idea of starting to train as a perfumer. Her determination was rewarded and her skills grew, and in 2015 she joined her former mentor Honorine Blanc as a perfumer at Firmenich.
Still, her childhood in Romania accompanies her every day when she comes to work. "My upbringing still influences the way I create, and my earliest olfactory memories remain powerful: vibrant, juicy and fresh…. Connecting my past to my present every day and using these memories to touch people's lives with my creations is a supreme privilege." We are delighted that Gabi continues her grandmother's legacy at Firmenich, telling beautiful and fragrant stories for so many to enjoy.
