the fragrance family

BEAUTÉ
T H E F R A G R A N C E F A M I LY
AS FR A N CE’S FI RS T L A DY O F FR AG R A N CE, C H A N TA L
R O O S H A S H A D M O R E I M PAC T O N T H E I N D U S T RY
T H A N M O S T; S H E W A S T H E B R A I N S B E H I N D S U C H
I CO N I C S C E N T S A S YS L O P I U M A N D PA R I S, I S S E Y
M I YA K E L’ E A U D ’ I S S E Y A N D J E A N PA U L G A U LT I E R
CL ASSIQUE. HER DAUGHTER ALEX ANDR A ROOS
IS A FRENCH MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER, WITH
FOUR ALBUMS TO HER NA ME. L AST YEAR, THEY
L AU NCHED DE AR ROSE, A NICHE LINE O F FIVE
P E R F U M E S, I N S P I R E D BY T H E VA R I O U S E M OT I O N S
A N D S TAG ES I N WO M E N ’S L IVES.
’O Chantal, before Dear Rose, you were responsible for many
’O Alexandra, what are the synergies between fragrance
’O You must have had some amazing experiences in your
’O Chantal, how much has the industry changed since your
daughter was born?
CR: In 1977, for the launch of Opium, there was one other
single launch: Rochas Mystère. Today you have more than 500
launches in a year. It is less exceptional and too many things
smell the same. Niche perfumery came on the market because
of the fragrance business becoming more mass.
time—what’s a particular highlight?
CR: To be able to work with the most incredible talents, all
different, with different cultures, with different visions of women,
and to enter into their world to be able to come out with the right
product that would be coherent with their fashion.
’O Alexandra, what’s the earliest beauty memory you have
of your mother?
AR: My mother was, and is, a beautiful woman—that is
my memory of her. The “Catherine Deneuve of perfumery”
as somebody once said.
’O Which of your mother’s earlier creations is your favourite?
AR: Opium. My favourite perfume ever. For the fragrance
itself, the name and the daring.
’O What are the main differences between you in terms of
fragrance philosophy?
AR: My mother was working in the business industry and it gave
her a different approach to mine, of course, a more professional
point of view. I had the philosophy of the fragrance lover only,
without the commercial issue. It is changing now…
CR: I have the weight of my more than 30 years in the perfume
industry, with all the “Yes you can/no you can’t” in my head.
Alexandra arrives and brings her musical culture and another
way to look at the fragrance, with more freedom. She brings
me her creativity, her freshness, her new eyes for this business.
She dares more and pushes me.
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and music?
AR: Vocabulary, for one—words like notes, accord, mixing,
harmony… In both music and fragrance, there can be a universal
truth with various possible faces: classical or contemporary, as
long as it reaches your heart.
’O Is there a generational gap when it comes to perfume?
AR: Less than before. I was wearing Opium when I was 16, but
I won’t wear Anaïs Anaïs anymore. It might not be a gap, but
a different philosophy and way of living that shows through
the choice of your perfume.
’O Signature scent vs fragrance wardrobe… your preference?
CR: Dear Rose is for five different moments of one woman’s
life—different periods, different moods, different lovers…
Some women are faithful to one fragrance but most of the
time they want to change.
AR: A wardrobe of scent. Lots of clothes but one style.
’O What are your favourite notes?
CR: Everybody knows that I really love woody juices.
AR: I don’t have favourite notes, it depends how they are mixed.
Maybe I need more time… I can only say that tuberose notes
excite me. I love Fracas.
’O If you could bottle each other, what would she smell like?
CR: My daughter is half Dear Rose Sympathy For The Sun and
half Dear Rose I Love My Man, depending on her emotions
or on the timing.
AR: Opium.
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF DEAR ROSE
classic fragrance launches—which has been the standout?
CR: Some launches have been incredible experiences more than
others. Opium, because it was the first one and because I had
no idea of what we were creating… a huge success. Then L’Eau
d’Issey, because nobody outside Japan was able to pronounce
the name of Issey Miyake. Japan had never been famous for
their fragrances and there I was, doing my best, but sure that
we would only sell a few pieces…