There are no set rules as Guerlain’s Thierry Wasser continues to display his mastery at the French luxury perfume, cosmetics and skincare Maison’s atelier. We caught up with the scent composer during the Guerlain: Perfumer Visionary Since 1828 exhibition in Bangkok

With an 18-year tenure that began in 2008, Thierry Wasser became Guerlain’s first non-family scent composer, perceptually bringing in a new era for the iconic French house. Fun fact: Wasser doesn’t like to be called a “master perfumer”. He elaborates, “I hate that title. When you work in a particular trade, you’re already a master of it. I’d rather be called a scent composer or a ‘nose’.”
Wasser can’t quite recall the first moment that scent became vivid to him, only that it was somewhere between the forest and the kitchen, on the outskirts of a little Swiss village where his childhood was defined by wind sweeping through tall grass, plants and damp earth.
After a moment’s thought, he mentions that the scent he encountered could have been apricot. Wasser was a child who cooked not because it was his duty but because it was a simple pleasure to create something with his hands. His favourite was an apricot tart. As the tart baked, the apricots released a warm, bright sweetness that moved through the house. Much earlier than when he knew what top, middle and base notes meant, Wasser recognised the first truth of the perfumer: he understood that smell could turn a house into something memorable.

The forest provided its own schooling. An only child, Wasser shares that he would walk alone in the trees around his home, accompanied by stillness and the occasional rustle of something unseen. In the early 1970s, he found books on therapeutic herbs, which helped him identify and describe what they were. He started collecting, drying and storing them.
At 15, he left school for a four-year apprenticeship in a local pharmacy, where botany and herbalism became part of his daily discipline. The experience sharpened his understanding of raw materials, but more importantly, it trained his eye and nose in the practise of close observation. Perfumery arrived almost by surprise when Wasser began to understand that fragrance was not simply something nature offered, but something that was mindfully composed.
&nbsp;Here, Wasser opens up to L’OFFICIEL about what it feels like to be in his shoes.

Courtesy of Guerlain

What is your goal as the “nose” of Guerlain? 
The goal is to pass the house down in great shape to the following generation. I’m not the master perfumer, as you call it, but just someone who inherited a task from his predecessor, meaning Jean-Paul Guerlain — to try to keep the brand on top of its game. That’s the ultimate objective.
Is there a person who inspires you in what you do? 
I would say Jean-Paul Guerlain. There is a tremendous respect and love for my predecessor and mentor. I was lucky to be chosen as his apprentice at 15, despite my lack of qualifications and dropping out of school. He then invited me to Geneva to attend his perfumery school and essentially said, “Here are the keys to the Guerlain safe.”
How long does it usually take you to craft a new range of fragrance? 
There are two answers to that. The wish and the reality are two different things. I wish we could do it in 12 months. However, the reality is not exactly the case. We often run late and face various challenges. It’s a process, and you’re not alone in that process. There are people around you to support you, but sometimes, having too many people involved can complicate things. After the initial phase, it takes a long time for the final product to be ready. So it’s never 12 months.

Is there a scent that you absolutely can’t stand? 
The smell that arises when people cook cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage is strange to me. Otherwise, I’m fine with odd smells.
Since you work with your nose, is it hard for you to switch off? 
There is a secret switch. [Laughs] How do you cope when something smells funky in a crowded space when it’s scorching hot? For me, I turn my secret switch off. I’ve got news for you: the nose is connected to the brain. Your nose is just a tool, while your brain has the power to disconnect. After all, fragrance making requires a clear and focused mind to properly evaluate the different notes, so unless you’re mentally engaged, you shouldn’t have a problem switching off.
What do you do when you’re not working? 
I work… I don’t stop.
In that case, would you call yourself a workaholic? 
No. To a certain extent, I’m lazy, but “laidback” might be a better choice of words. What I mean is that I don’t stop working on myself. For example, I began listening to classical music as a child, and I have memorised a vast repertoire of works. I could just sit and listen for 30 to 60 minutes every day.
Since I’m familiar with a lot of the classical music, when I say I listen to a piano concerto, my mind will automatically pinpoint the different entry points: when the piano enters, when the flute enters, and so on and so forth. Since I am fully aware of what is about to happen, if I miss an entry, I recognise that I am not concentrating.
Someone once told me that it resembles meditation, a perspective that I had not considered before, but he is likely correct. To me, it’s a great way to train my memory. It forces me to focus, but it’s relaxing at the same time.

GUERLAIN TAKES BANGKOK

Back in June, Guerlain: Perfumer Visionary Since 1828 brought the Maison’s world of fragrance to One Bangkok, inviting visitors to step inside the concepts, ingredients and actual meanings behind each creation, proffering them an up-close and personal look at how heritage and craftsmanship shape the Maison’s work.
The journey began with the ultra-luxury brand’s heritage, tracing nearly two centuries of creation through the work of five master perfumers and the Maison’s close relationship with nature. From the art of gesture, visitors then encountered the hand-sealing techniques used to finish each bottle, demonstrated by Guerlain’s Dames de Table in the company of archival Pieces d’Exception. The process integrated a human element into the experience and revealed the care in every detail.
The exhibition then moved into the present with L’Art &amp; La Matière, where selected raw materials were composed into contemporary fragrances. Scents connected to Thailand added a local note, making the journey feel closer and more intimate.

At its centre was an immersive installation dedicated to the Guerlinade, Guerlain’s signature accord, where visitors could explore notes through movement and composition. It ended with a boutique, cafe and The Guerlinade Queens, a sculptural work by Thai artist Terawat Teankaprasith that reimagines the Bee Bottle through notes consisting of jasmine, iris, rose, vanilla, bergamot and tonka bean.
A four-course gala dinner kick-started the momentous event, attended by VVIPs from Thailand and the Maison as well as special guests from around the world, including Mile Phakphum, Friend of Guerlain; Indonesian celebrity Mikha Tambayong; former Miss Universe Catriona Gray; and Malaysia’s very own Christinna and Jestinna Kuan.

A Nose For Memory: An Interview with Guerlain’s Thierry Wasser

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