With a signature style, M.Micallef is well on its way towards carving a fragrant niche

Founded in Grasse at the Côte d’Azur in 1996, The perfume house M. Micallef has since become a signature in the world of high-end luxury perfumes, known for transforming the rarest and finest ingredients into ambrosial scents. Behind the brand are Martine Micallef and her husband, Geoffrey Nejman. Bazaar India caught up with Micallef where she, through this interview, shed light on the launch of the Maison’s new scent, the future of the industry, and the one ingredient she would use to create an India-inspired perfume.

Harper’s Bazaar: Tell us about the origin of your eponymous brand M. Micallef.

Martine Micallef: “My journey began 26 years ago, when my husband Geoffrey [Nejman] and I decided to launch a perfume business together. In the beginning, we didn’t know much about the fragrance industry. My husband was a banker, while I, at the time, ran a beauty salon—it was my first business. One night, I asked Geoffrey, ‘Why don’t we start a perfume business?’. He was not thrilled at first, as we didn’t have any experience in this area, we didn’t have a business plan, and we had no ‘brand name’ or goodwill. But I am an artist first...I knew exactly what I wanted to create. I used to meet a lot of women in my beauty salon and that gave me a fair idea of what women liked. I assured my husband that I knew what I was doing, and I made him meet Jean-Claude Astier, a senior perfumer, who’s also my mentor. And he helped create scents for us.”

HB: Did JeanClaude and you work together to create the fragrances?

MM: “My husband and I travel a lot, so we brought a lot of ingredients from different countries, and we tried to create new fragrances with Jean-Claude. Slowly and steadily, we reached a stage where our brand was recognised and appreciated for the unexpected blends. It was almost like a love story that unravelled. Geoffrey and I wanted to do something together—I am creative and he is good with numbers, and because of this combination, we were able to manage the different departments well.”

HB: There are a lot of legacy fragrance brands in the industry...what sets M. Micallef apart from the rest?

MM: “Each M. Micallef scent is like a piece of art. From the juice to the flacons that I design...everything is handcrafted and a symbol of luxury.” 

HB: Bespoke fragrances are the ultimate form of luxury. Do you also allow brand friends and clients to co-create a perfume?

MM: “We have been doing this since a very long time through our private label. We receive a lot of requests to create bespoke fragrances for weddings and events, and we love doing that because it demands a lot of creativity. We also cater to those who want a unique, personalised scent just for themselves. So it isn’t a new trend for us.”

HB: All of the M. Micallef flacons look like mini pieces of art. What inspires you to create the packaging?

MM: “It depends...Sometimes, I create a bottle inspired by the scent it will house...and, other times, I have a design in mind and we create a perfume inspired by the bottle. The former is easy as you already have notes and a certain inspiration to work with, but the latter, not so much. It’s like a dream that I need to explain at length, for others to understand what I want. I sit with three or four people who work with ingredients and explain the concept to them. And then they come up with ingredients. For instance, if I say the word ‘fresh’, they would recommend a citrus-y note. Once I brief the team, I receive the samples and select one that is closest to my vision, and then we work on the final blend. It is a long process.”

HB: Tell us more about Soleil Passion, M. Micallef’s latest scent. 

MM: “Soleil Passion is part of a new collection called Stories Of Love. It’s a sequel to our previously-launched collection, Secrets Of Love. You would notice similarities in the bottle—it has got the same shape and has a metallic finish. I wanted the bottle to match the scent—Soleil Passion will transport you to a Mediterranean garden with its fruity splash, and the transparent bottle matches that energy. It reflects the vision of a sunny day spent in the garden with a lot of juicy fruits like pomegranates and grapefruit. We wanted to use natural ingredients for this scent, and the thought was to create a soft, but long-lasting fragrance. It’s a floral-fruit perfume with sparkling notes of pomegranate, Mandarin orange, and wild strawberry, and softer accords of water lily, Lily-of-the-Valley, and rose. The base of Soleil Passion includes musk, ambergris, and sandalwood. This is an energetic perfume, fit for all seasons.” 

HB: Genderless fragrances are becoming the norm these days... 

MM: “I have never put a label on a perfume. In the M. Micallef universe, there are no ‘him’ or ‘her’ scents.”

HB: If you had to create a fragrance inspired by India, which notes would you pick?

MM: “We are familiar with Indian ingredients and have used saffron in a few of our fragrances like Passion and Secrets Of Love. On my recent visit to India, I went to a temple and I could smell a variety of flowers there, but rose was the most dominating scent. So I would create something with rose as it is long lasting and serves as a reminder of ‘good vibes’ (experienced at the temple) from India.”

HB: What do you think is the future of fragrances?

MM: “There are a lot of innovations happening in the world of perfumes, and, I think, niche perfumery is one segment that will see a significant rise in the future. Clients, today, want to own a personalised scent because they want to smell different.”

HB: If you were to recommend a fragrance for the Bazaar woman, which one would you pick?

MM: “I have two. First, Ylang In Gold, because it is a sparkling, sensual scent. I believe a stylish woman needs a light, sexy, really feminine fragrance. And I would also recommend our new scent Soleil Passion—it’s a lovely fruity-floral  scent.”