Perfumes de Alain Alchenberger

Alain Alchenberger is a well-known perfumer and the current Director of the Givaudan Perfumery School. Born in Switzerland, Alain graduated from the Federal Institute of Technology with a degree in chemical engineering. He stumbled upon the world of perfumery by chance while looking for work after graduating, and quickly fell in love with the field once he was introduced to it.

Alain began his career as a trainee perfumer in 1979 and since then has built up extensive experience working in various categories, such as fine perfumery, consumer products like soap, fabric softener, personal care products and home products, including air fresheners. He has worked with some of the industry’s giants such as Unilever, Colgate and Oreo, and many other brands such as Davidoff, Versace, Boots, Ralph Lauren, Polo Jean, Michael Kors and Adidas while working in more than 10 countries across 3 continents.

Alain believes that passion and patience guided him through the many challenges he faced, and that fragrance, like the cycle of life, has evolved over the years. In the 1980s, fragrances were bombastic, while in the 1990s they became more transparent and cleaner, and the 2000s saw an increase in fruity tones. He highlights the importance of chemistry in today’s perfume world, as many formulas are dominated by synthetic ingredients, which have quite modern relevance due to the discovery of many synthetic ingredients. Decades ago, the ingredients used in perfumes were natural and animal.

Alain also points out that the internationalisation of perfumery is a challenge of the modern era, as consumer preferences are geographically segmented. For example, what is liked in the Far East is different from what is preferred in Europe. Being French, he comments that the fragrance industry has shaped the history of France and remains one of the region’s most important industries. Companies such as Guerlain, Coty, L’Oreal and fashion houses such as LVMH, Chanel and Hermes dominate the industry today.

When it comes to directing one of the most renowned industrial perfumery schools, Alain says it is about giving back and sharing. His experience is only in fine perfumery for more than 11 years, and he believes that the key to success in a creative field is to believe in yourself and follow your own path. Alain sees scent as the most important sense. It increases curiosity within an individual and can connect to stories and feelings through olfactory visualisation. For Alain, if perfumery had to be associated with a single word, it would be LOVE.