“Flair is about fifty launches a year,” Anne-Sophie Beagel.

Premium Beauty News – In 2012, Flair celebrated its tenth anniversary. How did the idea of ​​a creative studio dedicated to niche perfumes come about?

Anne-Sophie Beagel – When I founded Flair with Amelie Bourgeois and Martine Denizot in 2012, niche perfumery had been booming since the 2000s. However, the large perfume houses could not meet the demand, either in terms of volume or support. There was a real place for independent perfumers there.

I met Amelie Bourgeois at Cinquième Sens, where founder and perfumer Monique Schlinger taught us how to smell and compose. We trained there. Later, it was at Cinquième Sens that Amelie met Martine Denizot. For my part, I wanted to enrich my experience in various positions at Firmenich and Symrise.

We completed our first projects for Jovoy (Killer Red) and Frapin (Lost heaven). François Henin and David Frossard, managers of these two brands, trusted us from the very beginning. These two achievements led us to create the scents Liquides Imaginaires, Les Eaux Primordiales and BDK Parfums for Room 1015. For the last brand we signed Rouge Smoke, Sel d’Argent and French Bouquet.

Since the creation of Flair, we have worked with fifty-six brands, and the team has been supplemented by two young perfumers: Camille Chemardin and Margaux Le Pay-Guerin, who quickly proved irreplaceable.

Premium Beauty News: Has Flair Opened Up to Olfactory Art, Too?

Anne-Sophie Beagel – Yes, Sandra Barre has joined us in 2022. Taking an art history course, she approached artists working with the olfactory dimension to question the presence of smells in art, in the context of a memoir and then a book. This enriched our experience with an artistic dimension, opening us up to other worlds. Composing an art project – where we scent space, materials – involves a different way of formulating.

We founded Flair Award to highlight olfactory art.. This year, for the second edition, a jury made up of professionals from the world of contemporary art and perfumery will select a project by an artist who will receive a grant of 10,000 euros to create an olfactory installation, including the creation of a perfume. The final work will be exhibited at the POUSH artist residency in late 2024. Applications will close on April 28. In addition to the award, Flair also offers a podcast dedicated to promoting the art of olfaction.

Among Fleur’s recent creative projects, Camille Chemardin included participation in Chloe Jeanne’s solo exhibition, which took place in Tours. Around the theme of visible presence, the question of life, she created three fragrances that embody the three visions of the Loire: plant, animal and mineral.

Premium Beauty News – Tell us about the team’s creative approach.

Anne-Sophie Beagel – From the very beginning we wanted to work with an open organ, so as not to be locked into the style dictated by the supplier of the material. We chose VO Aromatiques, a partner factory that produces perfumes and supplies our organ. Rarely has a company agreed to open up its collection to include material from other sources. For example, green vanilla from Stéphane Picard (Behave), specialties from Albert Vieille or Biolandes. Today we work with a palette of 800 ingredients.

In terms of creativity, I would say that art direction is important. Listen to the author tell us about his brief description, his story, in his words. One of the strengths of our team is that we all have a distinct creative style. I like to work with simple formulas, with a lot of materials. I have an abstract “feather”. Where Amelie plays with longer formulas, with sensual, sophisticated writing. Margaux boldly works with gourmand and woody notes, without denying elegance. Camille explores olfactory themes with passion through balanced formulas.

Premium Beauty News – How do you look at the last ten years?

Anne-Sophie Beagel – We are experiencing quiet but steady growth. We found time to quietly develop the company. This is facilitated by the passion for niche perfumes. France remains a challenging market, but it is nonetheless developing. In Europe, the public is increasingly interested in niche perfumes, and the clientele is becoming more specialized. Even for premium scented detergents such as Kerzon. This change is due, among other things, to rising prices for selective products, which forces the public to turn to rarer offers. A phenomenon that has been intensified by the Covid pandemic.

Now the Flair studio carries out about fifty launches a year. The team recently signed Red, a new fragrance from Sora Dora, a Jovoy exclusive, and Angel’s Powder, the newest fragrance from Born To Stand Out, launched at Esxence. Flair Girls also developed fragrances for the Versatile cosmetics line. And much more that you will soon discover…