Aurélien Guichard | Perfumer

From the flower field to the finished composition

Aurélien Guichard comes from a Grasse family whose perfume heritage spans seven generations. He grew up with a perfumer father and a sculptor mother, bringing together an education in materials and a familiarity with artistic practice. He trained at Givaudan before later working at Firmenich and Takasago.

As the perfumer and co-founder of Matière Première, Guichard puts a central raw material at the heart of each fragrance. The aim is to reveal its texture and character through a clear composition, often using a generous proportion of the featured ingredient.

His work also extends into cultivation. The house grows rose centifolia, tuberose and lavandin in the Grasse region, creating a direct relationship between the land and the formula. Guichard distinguishes this material-led practice from work for fashion houses, where a brand’s archives and creative world help define the brief. Both call on the same craft through different starting points.