IN CONVERSATION WITH THIBAUD CRIVELLI

interview TIMOTEJ LETONJA

words NATALIE GAL

Growing up in France, with previous generations spanning five continents, Thibaud Crivelli has always lived a life full of adventure. In this exclusive interview, the head of the haute parfumerie house Maison Crivelli shares stories of his travels and experiences living in Asia, how these journeys shaped his approach to scent and helped him build one of the world’s most renowned fragrance houses. He also offers a glimpse into an upcoming perfume while reflecting on the role of gender, sustainability, and philosophy in his work.

You lived in China and spent a decade traveling through Asia, how has that time and place specifically influenced your creative work? Can you share how those experiences shaped your approach to perfumery?

Asia actually has always been part of my life. I grew up in France, but my family has lived overseas for several generations and one part of my family was based in Asia. So at a very young age I started to get an interest for the region and considered at some point living there, learning local languages. I did so after my studies. I went to China and then ended up staying in Asia and living there for 10 years in Singapore and Hong Kong. Obviously, living in Asia helped me to get closer to a lot of places where the ingredients of perfume are cropped, cultivated and sold. 

I visited plantations like tea, patchouli, and some forests. I discovered perfumery with a very synesthetic approach. This is my approach to perfume, which is very specific to Maison Crivelli. 

Asia is also a region where you live through very intense experiences in a positive way – in terms of colors, textures, the kindness of the people you meet, and the environments are so exotic compared to France. This triggered my spirit of adventure and my curiosity. It was a perfect ground for me because I had closer contact with nature, with places where perfume is cultivated.

You’ve had incredible adventures — such as smelling scorched sandalwood on a volcanic slope or sipping absinth under the Northern Lights. How do such vivid, sensory memories translate into scent? What’s your process for turning an experience into a fragrance?

With Maison Crivelli my objective is to surprise people with perfumes they have never smelled before. And I chose to take inspiration from adventures I had lived because this gives roots to the brand. This is legitimacy. It's also a very authentic approach. But the focus is not on myself. The focus is on what people will feel when they smell my perfumes.

The hardest is to encapsulate in a perfume formula the richness of the adventures I had lived. The combination of different sensory elements, sounds, textures, elements of taste, music, people and so forth. Perfume is not just about the smell. Perfume is influenced by all the other sensory elements around us.

For example, for the soft sound of the violin, I would use a luminous perfume ingredient such as lemon or bergamot. But if I want to express the sound of a cello, which is deeper, I would use an ingredient which is darker, more supple – amber or vanilla. These ingredients don't just carry a smell, they carry a color, a texture, and bring something to a formula.

The philosophy behind your house is “Perfume as a living experience.” Could you explain what this means to you, both personally and creatively?

Perfumes “live”. They evolve with time and they may differ depending on the skin, but the experience we have of a perfume is also living because it's influenced by what is around us. When it comes to synesthesia – if you smell a perfume at home, in a garden, in the street, on the seaside, during daytime, at night, summer, winter, you could smell the same perfume, but your experience of that perfume will never be the same because it's somehow influenced by what is around you.

Sustainability is a core value for both your house and our magazine. You’ve chosen not to use phthalates or artificial dyes — ingredients still common in much of today’s perfumery. Do you see the industry moving towards more sustainable practices, or is it still resisting that shift?

The industry is definitely moving to a more sustainable approach, but it's not a very easy task to do. For us sustainability is a long-term strategy that we are starting to implement, but also it goes beyond the recyclability of the products. So far we've chosen to formulate our perfumes without artificial colors nor phthalates. 

There's also somehow a matter of scale to be able to really implement change, at the moment we're trying to see how further we can go in that direction because obviously it's a never ending topic and I believe we will do better in the future than we do today. 

And we started with Patchouli in Indonesia with a charity called “coeur de forêt” – meaning “the heart of the forest”. It's important to use natural ingredients in your formula, but it's all the more important to ensure that the natural ingredients you use do not harm the forest. 

Your creations are gender-free fragrances. What’s your perspective on the move towards genderless expression in both perfumery and fashion?

There is no gender in perfume. I think that the approach to perfume is very personal. It doesn't really matter which combination of ingredients you have in the formula. It can be suitable for anyone. What we invite our customers to do is really to let it go. To be explorers, to dare to try perfumes they had never tried before.

Our perfumers are really against the cliches. For instance, we have a special scent Rose Saltifolia, which is perfect for ladies but also gentlemen. 

This month we are launching our latest „leather scent", which I am very excited about.  I was inspired by attending a music festival with friends. I decided to convey the whole atmosphere of the party with the raspberry cocktails, the brightness of the neon lights, but also the darkness of the room. There's bergamot, cedar, vanilla, iris, tonka bean – it is a perfect example because it's a totally gender neutral.

In your view, what defines a true Haute Parfumerie House? What does it take to stand out in this competitive field?

Haute perfumery and luxury in general is defined by a few factors. The first one is the quality of the products that you propose. The level of originality is also a very important aspect, to be able to surprise your customers. Then you have the quality of the distribution and the quality of the service that you are proposing.

The haute perfumery brands which will stay in the market all have a long-term approach and a distinctive vision. The key question is always – how can we keep on rejuvenating the brand, challenging ourselves, propose something new while remaining loyal to our vision, our values and also to what customers expect from us?

Looking ahead, what’s next for you? Any new travel destinations or experiences you’re dreaming of exploring?

Now the main focus is on the new leather scent. We have prepared a beautiful campaign for Christmas which I am very excited about. I am also planning to travel to the Middle East, back to London, Munich, South Africa and Zimbabwe and Nigeria as well. I am also planning on going to Cannes and Morocco.