What role does intuition play in your creative process, and how do you know when a fragrance is ‘complete’?
Intuition plays an important role in creation. While technical skills and experience lay the foundation, it’s intuition that gives life to a creation. A fragrance is ‘complete’ when it no longer feels like it’s trying to be something—it just is. There’s a moment when the notes stop competing and start dancing together. That’s when I know. Sometimes that moment comes quickly—almost as if the formula was waiting to be discovered. Other times, it takes much longer, going through endless trials and adjustments.
Are there any cultural or regional scent traditions that have deeply influenced your work?
Absolutely. Being from Spain, I’m naturally influenced by what we have here, but I’ve always had a deep connection to the Middle East. Traveling is a constant source of inspiration. Every place has its own olfactory identity. These scents stay with me and often find their way, consciously or not, into my creations. It's not about specific traditions, but about the emotions and memories that each place leaves behind.
If you could only work with three ingredients for the rest of your career, which ones would you choose and why?
Honestly, it’s impossible to choose just three. Each ingredient has its own personality, and part of the magic of perfumery is the endless combination of contrasts and harmonies. Limiting myself to only three would be like asking a musician to play their entire career with only three notes. That said, I do have favorites—but even they evolve over time, depending on the story I want to tell.
How do you feel about the rise of AI in perfumery? Do you see it as a threat or a tool for innovation?
To be honest, I’m not a fan of AI in perfumery. It’s a tool—nothing more, nothing less. AI can analyze trends or help but it cannot replace human emotion, memory, or instinct. Perfumery is storytelling, and no machine can dream for you. For me, perfumery is art—not code. When it comes to true creation—the emotional, instinctive part—AI is completely out of its depth.
What makes a fragrance extraordinary?
When it triggers an emotion, a memory, or a reaction that words can’t quite explain. A great fragrance whispers something deeply personal to whoever wears it. It goes beyond smelling good—it moves you. It creates an emotional response, awakens a memory, or even reveals something about the person wearing it. That connection is what elevates a formula into something truly special.
Your attitude towards dupes in fragrance?
I prefer to abstain from commenting on that topic, as it is a complex and often polarizing subject.
Some great musicians are often hostages to their own hits. And what about perfumes, is there a scent that you have to produce too much and too often and that you are already quite tired of?
There are indeed creations that clients request over and over again. And while it can become repetitive, I remind myself that if people keep coming back to it, it means the fragrance has truly resonated. The fact that people keep asking for the same scent means I did something unforgettable. That’s a power very few have. That’s a privilege, not a burden.
