The New Perfumer at Roja: Antoine Cotton on His Vision and the Brand’s Legacy

Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule

By the end of last year, Roja welcomed young perfumer Antoine Cotton to the house. PlezuroMag spoke with him about his vision for collaborating with the renowned British luxury perfume brand.

Antoine Cotton / Photo from personal archive

Since its launch in 2011, no other perfumer was named for creating perfumes for Roja except the master perfumer Roja Dove himself. Introducing a new perfumer for future creations marks a significant step in defining the modern view of this prestigious brand.

"Antoine Cotton will showcase his unique artistry throughout 2025, continuing to build and express Roja’s contemporary vision under the guidance of Roja Dove," the brand announced.

Three new fragrances are set to launch this year.

Mr. Cotton, a junior perfumer from Argeville, in the interview with PlezuroMag shares his thoughts on the collaboration with Roja and hints at the upcoming new perfumes.

Can you tell us a little about your background and what got you into perfumery? Growing up in Grasse – did you always know you wanted to work in this field?

I was born in Grasse and grew up in Cabris, surrounded by all the industry excitement in this special region. As a curious teenager, I wanted to know more. From industry talks to visiting labs and smelling fragrances, two perfumers showed me their deep passion for their work and convinced me to follow this path. I then began studying at the École Supérieure du Parfum in Paris and, after copious internships, gained the opportunity to take my first steps as a Junior Perfumer at Argeville, being trained by senior experts.

Now, I’m delighted to be joining forces with ROJA - it’s a true honour.

Have you been familiar with the perfumes from ROJA before starting work with the brand? Do you have any favourites?

Yes of course, it's a brand that I discovered back when I was a student, exploring elite perfumery for the first time. I have several ROJA favourites, however my number one must be Elysium, and has been for some time. It is a fragrance masterpiece possessing such unique and refined qualities.

Photo from the brand’s archive

How did you meet Roja Dove, and how did it lead to working together? What does becoming a ROJA family member mean to you?

I met Roja Dove several months ago in London. It was an incredibly distinct and authentic moment of sharing, discovering each others’ perspectives in such depth; the kind of encounter that thrills and enriches you. I was and will always be fascinated by such an experienced eye and nose, and appreciate Roja being the mentor that he is to me. This is a very special fragrance house, one that I have admired for a long time and to now be part of the ROJA family and continue its voyage, is an immense honour. I am very grateful and thankful.

What is your vision of the future of ROJA? What input are you planning to make from yourself? Is the brand going a completely new direction, or will it keep something familiar to the old fans of the house too?

ROJA will always be ROJA, the excellence of high perfumery. We are not talking about a new direction but more about the enrichment of a heritage and a DNA that is well anchored and highly appreciated from both consumers and professionals. My mission is to embody the new era of the brand with my fresh vision, to create bold fragrances, daring contrasts and associations, playing with textures and colours through the exploration of new olfactory universes without constraints. It is the absolute dream for every perfumer.

Photo: IG / @kristinakiiscents

Do you know when the first perfume that you created for ROJA gets released, and how do you feel about the scent?

New fragrances will be released throughout 2025. I am very passionate about the new scents I’ve created - the first of which possesses an intense freshness that I cherish - and very much look forward to more being revealed very soon.

Is there any particular perfume style or materials you like to work with?

Currently I'm very interested in incense and leathery notes, but my favorites are still spices such as ginger for its fresh zesty facets imparting sparkling notes; flowers such as as jasmine, a multifaceted material allowing glimpses of green, fruity, animalic notes depending on its terroir; and woods such as vetiver or ambrocenide, a very powerful and substantive drywood with addictive ambery undertones.

Do you wear perfume yourself and do you have a favorite(s)?

I wear perfume occasionally, outside of work, and tend to select different fragrance styles. I sometimes trial scents on myself to see how they evolve on the skin, how they broadcast and how people react.

Thank you for your time.