Perfumer to Watch: David Chieze on Blending Nature, Memory, and Imagination

Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule

For David Chieze, perfume is more than scent – it’s a search for harmony. In the interview for PlezuroMag, he shares how he went from working retail at L’Artisan Parfumeur to crafting scents with Mark Buxton, why he’s obsessed with rose, and what it means to imagine the smell of a flower that doesn’t have one.

David Chieze / Photo from personal album

David Chieze wasn’t born into perfume – at seventeen, he learned that perfumery was a profession, and then everything shifted. That realisation set him on a path that began in a L’Artisan Parfumeur boutique, where after-hours meant rose reconstructions, late-night olfactory studies, and, eventually, introductions to some of the most respected noses in the industry.

Now, nearly a decade into his career, Chieze is becoming an intriguing voice in perfumery, with his recently released creation for Electimuss — Astrum Nova — and a new perfume for Thomas De Monaco Parfums, which was previewed in Milan last February and is set to launch this September.

A right hand of Mark Buxton, a devotee of rose, and a seeker of harmony in scent, his compositions seem to reflect a fascination with contrast – mango and oud, fruity and animalic, memory and invention.

In the interview for PlezuroMag, we speak with Chieze about the spiritual side of scent-making, the importance of mentors, the flower that didn’t smell (and what he did about it), and his future goals.

When did you decide you want to be a perfumer? Was it always your dream?

It became my dream when I discovered this job existed. I was around 17 years old.

What did your early training or education in perfumery look like?

I started by working in L’Artisan Parfumeur shop because I didn’t know anybody in the industry, and it’s hard to get in. There, I met Bertrand Duchaufour and started smelling and doing basic reconstructions like muguet and rose.

I did this after my shift, sometimes until late in the evening. After that I was introduced to Mark Buxton by Bertrand who was looking for someone to train. That was 9 years ago.

What inspires you as a perfumer ?

The balance you can observe in nature, when you listen to your 5 senses. There is always equilibrium between the duality of opposites. When I create perfumes I also try to find this balance, between contrasts.

Which raw materials are your favorite to work with?

I love rose because of it’s multifaceted profile, you can play with it in an almost infinite way. Also the new CO2 extracts which have a very close profile to the natural one.

Do you have a perfume that has an important meaning to you – whether created by you or not?

Fahrenheit which was worn by my grandfather. Every time I smell or wear, it is memory of good times.

Tell us about your newest creation for Electimuss.

It’s a play on mango and oud, with a mango accord that I expressed juicy and in the most realistic way possible. The animalic part of oud is tamed with sweeter notes to express it’s ripe fruity facet, which pairs with mango. Osmanthus is there to play a link between the two, as it is both fruity and animalic.

Another creation of yours is not released yet, but the community already is anticipating it – Jade Amour for Thomas De Monaco Parfums. Can you tell our readers a little bit of the idea behind it?

The idea was to create a scent for a flower which doesn’t have one: Liane de Jade. I encountered this flower when I was studying in Lyon and was stunned by it’s beauty and extravagance, but to my surprise, it didn’t smell like anything. I thought it was quite frustrating, so I imagined a smell that would fit the colours and thickness of the petals and flower.

Liane de Jade / Photo credit: Wikipedia

Are there any dream projects or collaborations you’d love to take on?

I’d love to collaborate with iconic niche brands like Amouage, Maison Crivelli or BDK, for example.

In your opinion, what defines a good perfumer? What qualities of personality is necessary to be a good perfumer?

Passion is necessary because it is a tough job. You always have to second doubt yourself and what you’re doing, and have the tenacity to never give up. Creativity, curiosity.

What do you like the most about your job?

The endless possibilities it offers in terms of creation. A whole life is not enough to explore everything that could be. It is for me a spiritual exercise as well, since it is in line with one of the most powerful forces out there: creation. Everything is an endless ballet of things coming into existence, but they only materialise when in harmony. Like fragrances.

Thank you for your time.