Dominique Ropion is one of the most masterful modern day perfumers and also one of the most radical. Over the course of these 15 chapters, he leafs through the album of his life and, like a simple artisan, opens the door to his workshop. His training, begun at Roure (now Givaudan), has never really come to an end and he still enjoys nosing around in the olfactory havens he finds in nature and in the city. His sensory approach, never too rigid, allows him to venture into unexplored territory and to fashion perfumes that are revolutionary yet human. This peerless technician of perfumery rejects the image of the demiurge and speaks of the craftsmanship involved in achieving perfect olfactory balance. At the end of the book is a ‘perfumeography’ with 26 short accounts of the fragrances that exemplify the life force that drives him and the brilliant poetry that he strives for.
Aphorisms of a perfumer, Dominique Ropion, with Marie-Bénédicte Gauthier. Preface by Frédéric Malle, Nez éditions, 2017, 240 pages, 17€/$25
This book is available on www.nez-editions.us for North America and on the Auparfum Shop for other countries.
This review has been published in Nez, the olfactory magazine – #05 – Natural and Synthetic. This issue is available on www.nez-editions.us for North America and on the Auparfum Shop for other countries.
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