Perfumer
Grégoire Balleydier
Born in Paris, Grégoire Balleydier has always embodied the spirit of the city. However, the call of nature has continually shaped his sensitivity. As a child, he spent his summers in the north of Provence — the land loved by Jean Giono, one of his favourite French authors — where sunlit landscapes, olive groves, and the fragrant wild maquis first awakened his fascination with scent. At fifteen, during an internship in a fragrance house, his vocation became clear: he would become a perfumer.
In 2011, he began laying the foundations of his craft by studying Chemistry at the University of Versailles, before joining the École Supérieure du Parfum (ESP) in 2013. After obtaining his master’s degree in 2018, he joined Argeville, near Grasse, as a junior technical perfumer, gaining invaluable hands-on experience at the heart of the perfume world. Soon after, he became part of the dsm-firmenich team in Paris, where he trained as a perfumer under the guidance of Master Perfumer Nathalie Lorson.
Two years later, he moved to London to hone his skills with Master Perfumer Martin Koh. His journey then took him to New York, where he deepened his experience in the demanding world of fine perfumery, working with Principal Perfumer Frank Voelkl.
An astute observer with vivid imagination, Grégoire is also passionate about photography. Through his lens, he captures fleeting moments, translating his creative sensitivity into images. Whether capturing spontaneous scenes with his digital camera or exploring the most inspiring photographic exhibitions in Paris, he cultivates his artistic eye with the same dedication he brings to perfumery.
In 2017, his path took a decisive turn when he embarked on a several-month internship in Chennai, India — a true garden of perfumes. There, among jasmine and nardo fields, he experienced an unforgettable “olfactory shock”. Later, in Madagascar, he encountered some of the world’s most precious raw materials, including pepper, ylang-ylang and vanilla. “Being there changed everything”, he reflects. “Now, when I sit at my desk mixing these ingredients into a formula, I immediately think of the farmers who grow these extraordinary materials”.
Today, Grégoire continues his career in Paris as a fine fragrance perfumer at dsm-firmenich — a discipline that offers endless opportunities for creativity and exploration, allowing him to continually expand his olfactory horizons.
