Karine Chevallier: Independent Perfumer Crafting Stories

Karine Chevallier's path to becoming one of France's most respected independent perfumers began with a passion for chemistry and fragrance. After graduating from the prestigious ISIPCA in the mid-1990s, she trained under Jean-François Blayn, a disciple of legendary perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. This classical foundation was further strengthened when she joined Haarmann & Reimer in 1996, working alongside renowned perfumer Mark Buxton.

What sets Chevallier apart is her unique detour into luxury marketing. In 2000, she pursued a Master's degree in Marketing in the Luxury Industry and gained valuable experience at Guerlain. This business perspective gave her deep insights into perfume as "a blend of craftsmanship, art, memory, and luxury." Armed with both technical expertise and market understanding, she founded her own company, Olfactive Design, in 2005 with encouragement from Michel Roudnitska.

Chevallier's philosophy centers on "LESS IS MORE" - emphasizing simplicity, rigor, and elegance. She describes her role as a "public writer," translating brand stories into scent using her technical knowledge and understanding of perfume history. This storytelling approach has made her a sought-after collaborator for niche brands seeking authentic olfactory narratives.

Chevallier's portfolio showcases remarkable versatility across diverse fragrance families and concepts. Her work with Une Nuit Nomade produced Fleur des Fleurs and Murmure des Dieux, both celebrating the tropical beauty of Bali through different olfactory perspectives. These creations demonstrate her ability to capture place and emotion in scent.

Her collaboration with Gallivant Perfumes exemplifies her talent for translating urban energy into fragrance. Creating city-inspired scents for London, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Los Angeles, and Buenos Aires, she captures the essence of each metropolis through carefully chosen notes and compositions. Her "London" fragrance even earned recognition as a finalist at the Art and Olfaction Awards in 2018.

Beyond commercial success, Chevallier engages in artistic projects that push creative boundaries. She has recreated the scent of the Chauvet Cave and developed fragrances for art exhibitions, including work with cartoonist Enki Bilal. Her conceptual explorations with Nicolas Olczyk, imagining futuristic scents like "Mars soil" and "Fossilised gas," showcase her innovative thinking.

Since 2014, Chevallier has dedicated herself to nurturing the next generation of perfumers, teaching at the École Supérieure du Parfum in Paris. Her commitment to education and her involvement with the Société Internationale des Parfumeurs Créateurs reflects her dedication to preserving and advancing the art of independent perfumery.