photo by Hajime Watanabe

Perfumer
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
New York

Born January 1977 in Paris, Clement Gavarry grew up surrounded by the smell of both land and sea. Although his roots are deeply grounded in the flower fields of Grasse through his great grandfather, a farmer and distiller of lavender, Clement’s body and soul, are anchored in the ocean. An avid sailor waiting to be called cross-Atlantic, he is continually on a quest to discover new worlds. Clement attributes his passion for sailing to his father, renowned perfumer Max Gavarry at Laboratoire Monique Rémy. His favorite raw material, Neroli, may be the orange flower to most other perfumers, but for Clement, it is about the many days he spent on his father’s yacht, the “Neroli.”

Clement Gavarry states that as a child he hardly had any association with perfume, but his youth was in fact filled with all kinds of scents. His father often took young Clement to see his grandfather, who was a gardener for Lautier family (Lautier Fils) in Grasse. Clement vividly recalls walking with his father and grandfather in fields filled with the smell of Jasmin and Rose. Although he learnt about everything from distillation to gas chromatography at an early age and earned a masters degree in chemistry, Clement was more interested in entering the boat or aircraft industry. He did not decide to become a perfumer until his internship at IFF’s New York office in 1998. It was then that he found his passion for fragrance creation which he pursued by studying at Institut Superieur International de Parfums, Cosmetiques et Arômes Alimentaires (ISIPCA) in Versailles, France. He completed his fragrance training at IFF’s Perfumery School in 2004.

The beauty of Clement Gavarry’s story is the fact that he grew up in the business without ever feeling any pressure to pursue perfumery. It was on his own that he found his path and because of that, the ability to reflect his unique personality in the fragrances he creates. His gift is the ability to bring to perfumery an unleashed passion that is founded in a mature history and technique. His approach is instinctive and fearless while his style is one of prolific comfort and versatility which is what makes him one of the most talented among the youngest group of perfumers today.

Although still at the early stages of his career, Clement Gavarry has an impressive list of wins, including those created in collaboration with other perfumers are:
273 Indigo – Fred Hayman
OP Blend for Men – Parlux
Immaculate – Michel Germain
Prada – Prada (Fifi award winner, 2004)
Carolina – Carolina Hererra
Matthew Williamson Fragrance – Matthew Williamson
Chloe Collection 2005 – Chloe
Lovely – Sarah Jessica Parker
Eternity Summer – Calvin Klein
Deauville Spa – Michel Germain

Interview with Clement »