It was with great sadness we learned of Master Perfumer Olivier Pescheux’s passing. A loss made deeper still by the fact he was just 57, and should have been making fragrances long into the future. Many of us have Pescheux to thank for our most treasured fragrances – scent memories that will live on indefinitely.
We might spend many hours listing and talking about all the fragrances Olivier Pescheux created (and we hope you wear them and will talk about them within your own circle of friends in the coming weeks, to honour his legacy), but of course the focus often goes on the best sellers – incredible blockbusters such as Paco Rabanne 1 Million, which has consistently been one of the best selling fragrances in the world since it was launched, and should be on every perfumista’s list to try.
Pescheux also made some of our favourite Diptyque fragrances – including Tempo (one of the finest patchouli fragrances you can buy, no question), and Eau Capitale, which is a modern classic rose in every sense of the phrase. He also created Montblanc Explorer, and Versace Eros Flame – further fragrances which became legends in his own lifetime. And yet, according to all his colleagues and friends, he remained incredibly humble, full of generosity and good humour.
Just some of Master Perfumer Olivier Pescheux’s creations
Givaudan, the fragrance creation house Olivier worked for, released a moving statement, honouring Pescheux on their Instagram, alongside a handwritten formula which, it turns out, was the very first he’d created for them. Givaudan said:
‘It is with deep sadness and profound emotion that we announce the passing of Olivier Pescheux, on July 10th in Paris, France, at the age of 57, after fighting against a long disease.
Well-known for his elegant and luminous olfactive writing, Olivier Pescheux has been at the origin of countless successes such as Paco Rabanne 1 Million, Dior Higher, Lacoste L1212 Blanc, Diptyque Eau des sens, Fleur de peau and Orphéon.
“Olivier immensely contributed to shape today and tomorrow’s perfumery. He was loved for his warm and friendly character, his generosity and his boundless artistry. Olivier will be deeply missed.” said Oriol Segui, Head of Fine Fragrance Europe.
We found one of Olivier’s fragrance formula dating from 2009, published in Les Echos Série Limitée, which was about imagining the fragrance of the future. We share it with you on this occasion as a symbol of his creativity and his poetry.
Rest in Peace
We love you!’
Olivier Pescheux’s first formula for GivaudanGivaudan also included a message from all of their perfumers and teams who worked with Pescheux, saying:
‘Dear Olivier,
We all shared and loved your sense of humor, your light-hearted yet profound approach to life, a style and elegance that we also find in your marvelous creations.
We’ll always remember your humor, your smile, your luminous gaze.
We all send our love
The Givaudan Perfumers and Teams’
Elsewhere on social media, perfumer Mathilde Laurent replied with her own memories of Olivier Pescheux, recounting the fun she had spending time with him and (as she put it) ‘playing perfume’. Nathalie Feisthauer was among many fellow perfumers posting pictures of Olivier, saying: ‘Olivier Pescheux a friend and a Colleague. Sad day (will miss you).’
Hugely prolific, immensely talented, already much-missed, Olivier we add to the messages from perfume lovers pouring in from around the world, and say:
Thank you for the scent memories…
Written by Suzy Nightingale