Cécile Matton | Perfumer

An African childhood and a career built through close study

Cécile Matton was born in what was then Zaire and spent her early childhood there. In an interview, she recalled heat, light and market smells, including fresh peanuts wrapped in newspaper. These memories helped develop her lasting attention to odour.

She studied pharmacy with an industrial specialism. An internship at Biolandes, researching essential oils for cosmetics, confirmed her interest in perfumery. In 1992 she entered the Givaudan-Roure school in Grasse, then worked as Jean Guichard’s assistant in Paris.

Early projects included adapting fragrances for creams and soaps before she began signing her own perfumes. She later moved to New York with IFF and returned to France to join Mane’s Paris creative team. Matton’s account connects the sensory experiences of childhood with the exacting work of training, adaptation and formulation. Her affection for the original Miss Dior also reflects a continuing interest in patchouli and chypre structures.