Jean Kerléo
As well as being a perfumer, he was also a guardian of memory, founding the Osmothèque, an international perfume conservatory.
Jean Kerléo (1932-2015) was one of the great French perfumers of the 20th century, known for his refinement, discretion and deep respect for olfactory history.
Trained at Roure, he joined Jean Patou in 1962, where he was the exclusive perfumer for over three decades.
His most famous creation, 1000 (1976), is a masterpiece of patience and complexity, built around noble materials such as jasmine and sandalwood. He also created Ma Liberté, Sublime, and faithful reinterpretations of the house's great classics, including Joy.
More than a creator, Kerléo was also a guardian of memory: in 1992, he founded the Osmothèque, the first international perfume conservatory. This unique facility preserves and reconstructs historic perfumes, becoming a benchmark for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
A humble and cultured man, Jean Kerléo was able to combine tradition and innovation, without ever giving in to the ephemeral.
His work is that of a perfumer who saw in each formula an architecture, a heritage, an art of the long term.
