“The journey is as important as the destination”, emphasizes Camille Goutal, who defines herself as a chameleonic traveler. “I like to get off the beaten track and I adapt easily: I like to travel with family or friends; stay in nice hotels or local houses. I ride a lot on horseback and enjoy exploring unknown places. It is my passion, to discover incredible places, full of history, where few people go. I have many travel guides at home, for each country I must have three or four”, she adds.
So inevitably the celebration of 40 years of Goutal Paris It must be a celebration of the trip, as well as a tribute to the work that her mother did, Annick Goutal, at the head of one of the first niche perfume houses in the world.
Annick Goutal in Peru, in 1978.
Ever since the iconic Eau d'Hadrien was born in 1981, travel has been around. Notes of Sicilian lemon, grapefruit, green mandarin, ylang-ylang and bergamot make up the most emblematic juice de la maison, which was inspired by the landscapes of Tuscany and the tribulations of Emperor Hadrian, narrated by Marguerite Yourcenar in her famous Memoirs of Hadrian.
And the culture poetry and nature are also pillars that have led us to explore with the senses some of the most special corners of the balloon: Ninfeo Mio evokes the Garden of the Ninfa in Rome; Eau du Sud, the memories of the family home from Aix en Provence; Duel, the Brocéliande forest, in Brittany; Sables, Annick's moments of happiness with her husband in Corsica; Amber Fetish, the markets for spices, leather and essences of the Middle East; A Matin d'Orage, a Tokyo garden.
Annick Goutal's house on rue de Boulangers.
“Just smelling them makes you feel transported to another place,” Camille tells us, at the helm of the firm since 1999. Perhaps L'Ile au Thé is the most linked to adventure. It was born from an escapade of Camille with perfumer Isabelle Doyen at the korean island of jeju, where they visited the tea fields. “We saw volcanoes, white sand beaches, windswept cliffs, tangerine groves... It was a very crazy exploration that inspired us a lot.”
Olfactory notes can even take us to countries we have not visited. "It's what makes perfume magical," says Camille. We all have smells in mind that make us think of the beach, the sun, the forest. They exist in the collective imagination. This is the case, for example, of Songes, inspired by the island of Mauritius, which immortalizes one of my most significant olfactory memories. It took me almost five years to find the balance between evoking day and night, sun and moon, floral and spicy.
Annick Goutal, who was a child prodigy, pianist and model before perfumer, in the 80s.
Another example would be our Foret d'Or candle, which immediately takes you to the smell of a Christmas tree, near the fireplace.” Why is it so important to travel? “To escape from the routine and discover new cultures. It is an opportunity to meet people and discover other ways of life. It keeps me alive."
Preserving perfumery as an art form is also essential, as it blends history, tradition and the art of living. “Many museums try to preserve and sublimate this savoir faire constantly improving while preserving traditional techniques. In the south of France we have Grasse, the city of orange trees and the cradle of perfumery, but other countries – in the Middle East, for example – also have this culture."
Goutal Paris boutique on rue de Castiglione.
"A perfume appeals to the senses and the intellect," she concludes. Likewise, Camille seeks to protect the values of her firm, essentially freedom. “The one my mother had to do what she wanted, when she wanted. To follow her instincts. To create Ce Soir ou Jamais, a masterpiece born of an obsession, she worked for 15 years. She allowed herself time to achieve perfection: wild pink, alluring and natural. I want to be honest with what she transmitted to me: to offer beauty and to do it as well as possible”.