It was "a happy coincidence", says Alexis Dadier, that brought him to his true love, perfumery; to his career creating fine fragrances for Mane in Paris and, most recently, to the fragrance industry’s ultimate prize. The 2009 FiFi® Award in the new-this-year category, Perfume Extraordinaire, was proudly accepted by Mane and Alexis Dadier for Dadier’s creation of A Travers le Miroir Thierry Mugler.

Born and raised in a town deep in the forest near Paris, Compiegne, Dadier noted, is an old imperial town, once an oasis of peace and tranquility for Napoleon Bonaparte. And it was during his early years there that Dadier became so enamored of the odors that were to shape his future…the summer-sweet smells of sea-salted air and wet sand; the scent that signaled the onset of the academic year - drying chestnut leaves mingled with the leathery notes of new school bags - and, as if a portent of things to come, his mother’s goodnight kiss, redolent of Guerlain’s Jicky.

Fast forward to his university years and the courses in management and marketing that led to a position as a product manager with Parfums Dior. While there, he was given the opportunity to work on new projects with perfumers and therein lies the coincidence … he discovered the magical world of fragrance; his passion, his true love. Shortly after, destiny found Dadier enrolled in the Mane Perfumery School in Grasse, the very cradle of perfumery, where, for the next 3 years, he immersed himself in that alluring and heady universe. "I realize now with happiness", he said, "that every moment of my life has a smell; each memory is associated with a perfume..," olfactory landmarks to which he is deeply linked.

And the rest of the story is history, illuminated by a dialogue with Alexis Dadier who sat down with The Fragrance Foundation to talk about the memories, inspiration and creativity that drive this gifted – and now award-winning – perfumer.

Speaking of the FiFi® award, what was your inspiration for A Travers Le Miroir Thierry Mugler?
"Thierry Mugler", Dadier said, "created a fantasy universe that invited me into a world of dreams." In reliving the dreams, he said that in them were amazons, ultra-feminine goddesses who sometimes became men; strange creatures that took on forms drawn from the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. "I wanted", he said "to represent this in A Travers Le Miroir; to create a fragrance as a manifestation of those dreams. " As he explained it, the fragrance begins "in the sulphur baths of the ‘green fairy’, absinth. Then, the provocative and seductive goddess, Tuberose, adds her power to that of the king, the mighty and masculine Wood. This magical union, sexy and glamorous, is crystallized for eternity in the ice of Wintergreen. A Travers le Miroir will be the scent of the new-age gods who protect us humble creatures."

Can you share with us some of the other fragrances you’ve created?
He has, he conceded, a particular affection for the fragrances created for the Thierry Mugler brand: Innocent Illusion and, in the Miroir Miroir range, Miroir des Vanitiés and, of course, A Travers le Miroir. "Each fragrance, developed along with the brand teams and the olfactory consultant, Pierre Aulas, was an intellectual and creative adventure that pushed me beyond myself. Moreover, the universe of the brand is so rich and so creative that it allows for complete olfactive fearlessness. In a totally different universe", he continued, "I created several fragrances for L'Occitane: Notre Flore Cedre whose woody and green notes were inspired by the cedar forests of the Moroccan Atlas; Rose Nuit de Mai as a celebration of Grasse in May and Thé à la Bergamote which projects all the pleasure and joy of Earl Grey tea in a perfume. I also had the pleasure of creating "Fancy" for Jessica Simpson. Interpreting the personality of a star in a perfume was a very good experience and, with Jessica, a very glamorous one."

For you, is creating a perfume similar to creating a work of art?
"As perfumers, I think we bring as much heart and passion to the creation of a fragrance as others do to a painting or sculpture", he said. From Dadier’s perspective, however, not all fragrances on the market fit that profile. In his view, freedom and creativity are often stifled when the goal is predicated on commercial success. "This is why we talk more often of "craftsmanship" rather than pure art. When a perfume is a great classic, like Guerlain’s Shalimar or Chanel N ° 5, then we can talk about art." He went on to explain that only when all the elements – the name, the bottle, the advertising and, of course, the scent – are perfectly integrated, can a fragrance be a work of art.

Given that thought, which perfumes, in your mind, are the great, all time classics – or works of art?
To me, he said, "some perfumes are unforgettable journeys, many of them are the work of the Guerlain family: L’Heure Bleue, Shalimar, Samsara, Vetyver…"

A perfume you would have loved to create?
"CKONE, because I love to wear it. Even before I went into the perfume industry, I wore scents with floral notes: Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene and Insensé by Givenchy. With CKOne I found 'my perfume', the one with which I feel myself."

And is there a particular scent, or aroma, you would love to capture in a perfume?
"The smell of spring. It’s a feeling… an indescribable sensation… that makes me happy every year."

And what would be your most memorable fragrance experience?
"When I was a child", he recalled, "before my mother went out, scented with Guerlain’s Jicky, she would kiss me goodnight, and I will never forget the fragrance of my evening kiss. Inevitably, my most memorable experience is related to my mom." Dadier went on to say that one’s first olfactory memories are the most intense and, as so many agree, that would be the smell of one’s mother.

From a philosophical point of view, how would you describe yourself…nose, perfumer, composer?
"A nice mixture of the three. I find the smell in my head and imagine a piece of music composed of notes and accords. Then, where a composer would arrive at the perfect balance of notes and adjust with his ear, I adjust with my nose."

Do you think perfumers are the "elite" of the fragrance business?
"Not at all", he said, "of course they’re essential", but, giving credit to the entire cast, believes that each actor in the creative design of a fragrance – the perfumer, the designer, the advertiser and the marketer - plays an equally important role. "After all," he pointed out, "a beautiful perfume in a horrible bottle, with a silly name, will not sell as well as a perfume wherein all the elements - concept, bottle, name and ad –combine to convey a single fragrant message."

Turning to the art, skill and science of perfumery, we asked, how does chemistry affect your art and how important is formal chemistry training in the overall education of a perfumer?
"Chemistry is very important to the profession", he said, and explained that, thanks to the discovery of new raw materials and therefore new smells, the fragrance industry continues to evolve. He went on to reveal that chemistry – which would be an element of a classic perfumer’s education - is a subject he himself didn’t study (no handicap at all, by the way) "but that doesn’t prevent me from appreciating and enjoying the fragrant molecules developed by research scientists."

And how do you feel about the use of natural vs. synthetic ingredients – and is there a difference in quality?
"I use and am equally satisfied with both natural and synthetic ingredients. While natural ingredients embody the mysteries of nature which is, of course, so unpredictable, synthetic products have a certain alchemical aura. We cannot compare them; we need to create with both."

Is there an ingredient that eludes you…that you haven’t yet mastered?
"You know", he said, "I still discover, every day, new facets of raw materials. Perfumery is highly experiential: you believe you know a product extremely well and then, one day, you combine that product with another and you’re completely surprised by the result. The surprise can be a very positive one in the sense that, in combining the two notes, you’ve created an unknown accord." He went on to say that when one tries to explore all the facets of each raw material, one soon realizes that its potential is infinite. "This is what I deeply love in my job. You continue to learn throughout your entire professional life."

Among perfumers, who are your role models?
"I strongly admire Annick Menardo and the way she works", he enthused. "A simple and powerful idea and well controlled perfumery result in a signature that’s always recognizable. And, to my mind, Jacques Cavalier created some of the most beautiful fragrances of recent years, highly innovative and very successful."

That said, what advice would you give to would-be perfumers?
"Keep your eyes open to the world around you". Be aware, he advised, of everything that goes on in ordinary, everyday life as well as on everything that’s new and unexpected… the hottest trends. "Curiosity, naivety, and freedom are the keys to new olfactory adventures."

Looking forward to the future, we asked Dadier, which notes he sees as a major trend in 2010...
"I would love to think that men will wear more and more floral fragrances in the same way women dared to wear a tuxedo", he responded, referring to Yves St. Laurent’s revolutionary Le Smoking, now, of course, an evening staple in the wardrobes of chic and stylish women everywhere.

And what do you see as the perfume of tomorrow?
"Abstraction, I think. I find the current fragrance market almost devoid of abstraction" and went on to explain that, in his words, "an abstract creation, one without any known scent of tree, flower or fruit, has a more mysterious charge – mystery being the essence of perfume - that’s highly seductive and appealing". In his view, the field of abstract possibilities is huge.

Returning to the subject of the FiFi® Award, we asked Dadier what is the importance of The Fragrance Foundation Perfume Extraordinaire Award?
"It is extremely important for us, the fragrance houses, to see The Fragrance Foundation support the work of our industry. Perfume Extraordinaire is the first award ever given to a fragrance house for the scent alone, without any consideration given to any other element of the marketing mix such as the brand, the bottle or the advertising."

And what does winning the Perfume Extraordinaire Award of The Year mean to you and to Mane?
"It’s so rewarding to see that the industry recognizes the quality of the work done by Mane, and the company’s focus on technological innovation and perfume creativity. And for me, personally", he said, "it’s a great honour to be the creator of the fragrance that outperformed our very worthy competitors in this category."

And, on a final note, we wondered what’s your favorite smell?
"Oh," he said , "the smell of sand", an aroma that evokes memories of the Opal Coast beaches of his childhood and catapults him, across space and time, into endless summer. "Wet or white-hot in the sun, its smell is complex and rich in sensuality; all at once feminine and masculine with a certain duality that lies somewhere between mineral and water."

Sands of time on which the footprint of Alexis Dadier is surely indelibly engraved.