An Artificial Perfume - Olivier Polge On The Creation Of Chanel Comete

In the rarefied world of Chanel, where histories can be rewritten and fantasies are often more substantial than reality, it’s difficult to work out the true personalities of the creative forces that shape the brand. That is, of course, part of its perennial allure: the creation of layer upon layer of dreams. The people who work at the house of the double-C logo appear to possess an instinctive understanding of this need for a smoke-screen of mystery. In public settings, they tend to operate as though they’re on a slightly different plane — eternally a few degrees away from ours — always gliding on a transparent cloud of those famous No. 5 aldehydes.

I wish I’d met Olivier Polge at the start of his time at the brand. When the announcement was made, back in 2013, that he’d succeed his father as its exclusive perfumer, the press release stated he would “undergo a complete integration program within the House and its culture.” It would have been fascinating to compare current Polge with the pre-integration incarnation. For all I know, he hasn’t changed very much in the last eleven years, but certainly, the man who appeared at the Bond Street boutique a few days ago to discuss the launch of the new Exclusif scent, Comete, seemed to have Chanel coursing through every inch of his veins. Yes, he may have come across as slightly shy — or perhaps lacking confidence in what was an excellent grasp of English — but the answers he gave to all the questions couldn’t have been more measured and composed. In a recent post, I wrote that Frederic Malle tends to temper his geekiness according to the audience he has before him. Polge seems even more careful in this regard, overtly stating that he sees little point in discussing the technicalities of his work and that he prefers to restrict his comments to more intangible realms.

Having said that, during his conversation with The Observer’s Funmi Fetto, highlights of which you’ll find below, he did provide a few tantalising glimpses into his creative process and the way he views his position within the brand. It was only at the very end, when the formal audience was over, and I managed to have a couple of minutes on my own with him, that I thought I caught sight of the man behind the role. I thanked him for creating Le Lion and congratulated him for the way he used the scent to find something gorgeous and new to express at the meeting point of Shalimar, Coromandel and Cuir De Russie. He looked right into my eyes, gave me a smile, and said, “Thank you. They are three of my favourite perfumes.” And then I was whisked away, back into the land of stardust…