Louise Turner | Perfumer

Kent childhood memories and a restrained creative instinct

Louise Turner grew up in Kent, where the smells of her father’s woodworking, an old Victorian house and the family garden became enduring memories. Sawdust, honeysuckle and freshly cut grass are among the impressions she has recalled in interviews.

She joined Givaudan in 2000 and developed a career spanning major international launches and more intimate collaborations. Maison Margiela’s Lazy Sunday Morning provides one view of her interest in light, tactile effects and the feeling of fabric against skin.

Turner describes a preference for economy in composition. She also distinguishes the processes behind different commissions: large commercial projects may involve extensive testing and many decision-makers, while an independent brief can allow a more direct exchange with one creative partner. Her work responds to those different circumstances while drawing on the same material craft and a personal attention to the way a perfume feels, unfolds and remains in memory.