Exclusive Interview with Fredrik Dalman, In-House Perfumer for Maison Mona Di Orio+ Bohea Bohème Draw

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The late Mona Di Orio

 What does a House do when they lose their muse, when the brand is named after the founding perfumer? The late Mona Di Orio’s partner Jeroen Oude Sogtoen (who has been the Creative Director since the House was founded in 2004)  was and is involved with the entire creative process, each step… from concept, jus, packaging and choosing the perfumer to succeed Mona.  When Mona di Orio died suddenly in December 9, 2011, we were profoundly shaken by the loss of her light and in 2014 Myrrh Casati  and earlier this year Bohea Bohème was composed by perfumer Fredrik Dalman, who is now the in house perfumer for Maison Mona Di Orio. It is Fredrik whose work will carry on Mona’s trademark use of olfactory brilliance and who will introduce his own aesthetics as the Monogram collection evolves.

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As someone who had the honor of knowing Mona personally, I wanted to know more about Fredrik and he kindly granted me this exclusive interview. -Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

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Fredrik Dalman, In House Perfumer for Maison Mona Di Orio

Michelyn Camen: You grew up in Sweden.  It is a country not well known to me. Can you describe your childhood?

Frederick Dalman: I treasure my childhood enormously; I still consider it as my greatest adventure so far. Sweden is a country of opposites. The south is flat and mild, the perfect conditions for endless golden fields of rapeseed flowers in the summer while the north offers forests that never end, northern lights, mountains and snow so thick in the winter that the landscape freezes in time. I grew up somewhere in between these opposites in a city called Uppsala, famed for housing the oldest university in Sweden and for once have been a religious center to the good old “Vikings”. Many of my early childhood memories are not from here though and that’s all thanks to my parents love for British country life. We went to England almost every year, staying at a picturesque hotel called The Bull in Burford, just outside of Oxford. We used to take these long walks over the moor, picking up daffodils and stones as souvenirs, on a less rainy day we would have lunch at a restaurant built in an old water mill, I still remember the calm clucking sound of the mill and the scent of fresh watercress.

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View from Fredrik’s summer home in Sweden

As I grew older we bought a summerhouse in the south of Sweden and a ski lodge in the north. I have a very vivid imagination, something that I had great fun with as a child. I loved coming up with different stories that I placed me and my friends in and it was truly a privilege to have these different environments to build my stories on and get inspiration from. I’m still doing the exact same thing today; I’ve just started bottling my stories. Far longer shelf life.

Five words to describe your olfactive memories…

FD​: Sage sausage and steam engine trains, my first memory of scent. I think that says something about my olfactory memories, I have saved everything scent related from a young age and cherish each scent as a nugget of gold. They are a vital part of me and I consider it my life quest to smell and eat everything the world has to offer.

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Fredrik in a Vineyard

How did your background in Culinary Arts and Meal Science influence you as a perfumer?

FD: My wine and spirit studies taught me many things. It was my first professional approach to scent, I learnt better ways of keeping order in my scent library so to speak. It was also my years at university that awoke my passion for food and I took a great interest in everything nature has to offer. A lot of my inspiration comes from what I create in the kitchen. The world of wine is in many ways similar to that of perfume, it’s about the passion for creating something people can enjoy, it’s about the love of the raw materials and most importantly: the respect for all the beauty nature provides us. 

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Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers 1993

The fragrance your mother wore?

FD: My mother wore Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden when I was a child. It was highly refreshing during the dark cold months of winter. She changed perfume many years ago but I can somehow always smell that scent around her anyway.

Do you go to a perfume school? Which one? How did you begin your fragrant path? Did you always want to be a perfumer?

FD: I knew from a very young age that I loved to entertain my nose with scents and my brain with stories in all forms. I was a huge fan of pop up and comic books, adventure literature, movies, games. Well everything that fed my idea that the world is far more romantic then how many people view it. I was especially interested in ancient Egypt and dreamt for many years about being some kind of Indiana Jones version of Howard Carter. Digging up old treasure and dressing in beige safari clothing. My nose was always there to remind me about my love of scent though and in the end I had to put my imaginary fedora on the shelf. I took journalism in college in an attempt to improve on my storytelling skills and then later entertained my nose during my Sommelier university studies.

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Fredrik with  Rose de Mai in Grasse

After some time working in the perfume department of Harrods in London I was accepted as a student at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. It was such an inspirational time, not only because I learnt about the art of perfumery but also for learning about how different cultures view scent. We were 12 people from every corner of the world making perfume together, it was a highly eye opening experience to me. We also did some field trips to rose, jasmine, tuberose and mimosa plantations around Grasse, and one spectacular journey to the north of France to see the Narcissus. Perfumery is passion all the way from the production of the materials to the ones having the honor of mixing them into something new. It gave me a huge respect for the craft itself.

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Bertrand Duchaufour in his Labo in Paris

How many years were you the apprentice of master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour? What is your favorite of his perfumes? Do you also work with dualities in ingredients? Can you share a funny or interesting personal anecdote with our readers? 

FD: My year with Mr. Duchaufour was like a dream. It was an almost surreal experience to get a glimpse into the mind of such a creative person. He taught me how to truly “see” a scent and how to capture its very soul. This is something I think he really did in Timbuktu by L’artisan Parfumeur, I love how he respects the materials while not being afraid of tweaking them slightly. In this case with the beautiful green mango note. My bag is full of Bertrand’s knowledge and I wouldn’t be the perfumer I am today without the time I spent in Paris.

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Fredrik as Santa at the labo in L’Artisan Parfumeur Boutique in Paris

I remember this one time when Christmas was just a couple of weeks away and since our laboratory was on top of the L’Artisan flagship store things really came to life downstairs. So I’m sitting there one afternoon weighing one of Bertrands new projects and the store manager comes up to the lab asking “Fredrik would you mind being our store Santa Claus this weekend, we have a suit and everything” Well I thought why not. So that weekend I put on this enormous suit with hair, beard even eyebrows and stood outside the store wishing everybody passing a Merry Christmas. Four hours later I decided to go up to the lab to quickly finish a formula, so I sat down at the organ and began putting the last two materials of the formula in. Who walks in? Well Bertrand of course. Thinking that I had completely lost my mind. Not every day you have Santa mixing your formulas.

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Jeroen Oude Sogtoen

How did you meet Jeroen Oude Sogtoen, Mona’s partner and the Creative Director for Maison Mona Di Orio?

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Edmond Roudnitksa in his garden (courtesy of Michel for our use)

FD: Mona, Jeroen and myself are all connected through Michel Roudnitska and Accords & Parfums in Cabris. This magical place hidden in the mountains above Grasse really is as romantic as perfumery can be. It was here in the gardens of Edmond Roudnitska that Jeroen and I met for the first time and it didn’t take us long before we realized that our view on what perfumery should be coincided with one another, or even more so that Mona and I had a very similar view on what perfumery should be. I think Jeroen saw a bit of Mona in me in a way. I’m very lucky to be able to work with the materials Accords & Parfums provides and to have Jeroen’s creative mind around me every day.

As the in house perfumer for Maison Mona di Orio, how closely do you study her signature work? Do you have a favorite that influences you?

FD: To me it’s more important to appreciate Mona’s passion and huge respect for the industry, the craft in itself, the materials we use and how she tells her stories. What helps me feel connected to Mona is the fact that we share the passion for wine, art, nature and perfumery. I can never be Mona and I can never create scents in the same way as she did, she had her style, heritage and I have mine. That doesn’t mean that I can’t respect what she stood for though, in fact it’s immensely important to me to respect the values of the company that she and Jeroen created together.

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Mona di Orio at  Accords et Parfums

Monaesque is a phrase some are using to describe the perfumes that were created after Mona’s tragic passing. She has become a legend. How difficult is it to capture her style but add your own signature to your work?

FD: I am not looking to capture her style in that sense. I think that would be wrong. I’m trying to capture the essence of why she made perfumery her life’s work.

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Fredrik working in his Atelier

Have you created any perfumes in addition to Bohea Bohème?

FD: Many. Hoping you will see them on the market in the future.

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Fredrik in Grasse

Does being Swedish “color” your olfactive creations and perceptions? Did the beauty of Grasse influence you?

FD: Being Swedish definitely has an influence on my work. There aren’t a lot of Scandinavian perfumers, which I find odd since we have a fascinating fauna up north. Quite unexplored to be honest when it comes to perfume making. This doesn’t mean that everything I do has to smell like cloudberries, pine and moss but I love trying to hide something of my roots in all my creations. Grasse made me respect the craftsmanship of perfumery and created a sense of belonging in the history of scent making.

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Cardamom

If you could have created one perfume which one would it have been?

FD: I would have loved to be the one who created the scent of cardamom. But Mother Nature beat me to it, typical.

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Port Louis in Mauritius

Most interesting city in the world?

FD: I found Port Louis in Mauritius extremely fascinating. It really felt like a movie set for a pirate movie. Organized chaos, which I find soothing somehow and the people living there really have a much higher tolerance of chaos then we do here in Europe. I had a similar experience in New Delhi. Loved that as well. 

Robert Mapplethorpe Iris, 1977.

Robert Mapplethorpe Iris, 1977. Only because it would be interesting, no hint here

If you could create the ultimate soriflores, which flower would it be based on?

FD: I’m currently working on something along those lines. You’ll see soon enough. 

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MC Collage of Words and Emotions

I read that you are influenced by words and emotions. Favorite poem or quote?

FD: It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is ‘soporific’ By Beatrix Potter. Meaning that it’s so boring to eat lettuce that you’ll eventually will fall asleep. I never want to create the lettuce Beatrix is talking about, and there already is quite a lot of lettuce on the perfume market, I’m hoping that companies like ours can plant some new seeds in the minds of the scent-loving world and make people challenge themselves with scent.

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Fredrik Dalman

Do you spend much time in Cabris? Do you live there now? Always packed in your suitcase?

FD: I used to live in Cabris but I have been living in Amsterdam for the past four months now and I almost can’t believe how much I already love this city. I love it so much in fact that I already bought an apartment. There is this constant creative energy swirling around in the office which makes me almost bubble inside and if I ever miss the gardens of Accords & Parfums I can just dip a blotter in a bottle of May rose and it takes me right back. There is a creativity and freedom in this city that in my mind at least is quite unique and addictive.

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Hops absolue

Which raw material do you find the most difficult to work with?

FD: Every obstacle is an inspiration in my book. That said I’m still trying to find a way to use Hop Absolute in a good way. Hoping to find another really hard nut to crack in the future. What a wonderful job where you never can be fully taught.

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Fredrik in a snowy forest

Can you talk about your upcoming project, just a hint?

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Ermano Picco, Jeroen Oude Sogtoen, Michelyn Camen and Henricke Meuleman at Esxence 2016 in Milano. Hoping to meet Fredrik in 2017.

FD: I can say that working with Jeroen Oude Sogtoen really has been a total idea machine for these past four months. We just opened the doors to the first Mona di Orio store in Amsterdam, with a laboratory for me that must be the coziest in Europe packed with raw materials from Accords & Parfums and the minds of Jeroen and I. The perfect conditions for many interesting projects taking shape.  It’s like we always have this next train of thought…

 

 

 

BoheaBoheme mona di orio

Notes: Bergamot, sichuan pepper, cardamom, iris, chamomile, balsam fir, boxwood, geranium, black tea, juniper, smoke, oak, sandalwood, beeswax, bay leaf, benzoin, vanilla. The Silver Fox’s review here

Thanks to Jeroen, Frederik and Henricke for a worldwide (registered reader) a 75 ml bottle of Bohea Bohème. To be eligible, leave a comment with what you found fascinating about this interview ,  memorable quotes, where you live and the soliflore you might want to see Fredrik create. If you have a favorite Mona Di Orio Perfume we want to know. Draw closes 11/22/2016

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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51 comments

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    An exciting interview and draw! “What a wonderful job where you never can be fully taught.” I feel that way about life. 🙂 Thanks for the great read, and for the fabulous draw. I’m an iris nut so I’d love to see an iris soliflore! This perfume excites me because of the beeswax and chamomile notes…

    I’m in the USA. Thanks again!

  • I love his and Jeroen’s approach to perfumery as not wanting to create ‘lettuce’, and to keep innovating and challenging with scent – that is quite a noble and inspiring mission. Hm, his reference to the May rose and that picture in the snow made me crave a perfume created around an iced rose. Also – what a path to perfumery, and what a career Frederik has had so far, Im jealous! I live in Canada, thank you for the draw.

  • Well, a lot of this interview was fascinating. Although the soporific properties of lettuce are from eating it not smelling it. I would love a soliflore of rose, since that is my own holy grail.I live in the USA.

  • bohea boheme is nice, but for the time being and over all for my taste I prefer the first mona di orio perfumes (nuit noire, lux, oiro, amyitis – when oiro will be reintroduced again, my flacon is empty ?) and most of the ex-les nombres d’or série (vanille, vetyver, oud, musc, eau absolue)

    so I’m waiting now for a “monaesque” perfume, and it could be indeed an iris one, since there is no iris “soliflore” in the mona di orio range for the time being

    and perhaps i will love this new one !

    great hope in any case

    I live in EU, thanks for the draw !

  • Deborah Lane McGuire says:

    Great interview. I’d love more focus on iris frags, that is my personal passion at this point in my fragrance journey. Thank you for the drawing. I live in the USA

  • It is interesting interview. Fredrik remembers steam train engines and I can relate to it because trains used to pass(maybe they still pass) by my mom’s village. The fragrance choice of Fredrik’s mom makes me realize we always think French perfumes conquered America but this is a reminder American perfumes also achieved quite the reach in Europe. Working with Bertrand must have been a great experience and his answer of cardamom was pretty clever. Thanks a lot for the generous draw. My fav. Mona’s creation is Cuir. It is quite a hardcore ashy leather perfume. I am in the US.

  • His Mother wearing Sunflowers in the winter strikes me. Even the visual of sunflowers blooming in the snow scape. A soliflore of narcissus would be intriguing done in the house’s manner. My favorite is probably Amytis. It was an early purchase in my niche journey. I live in the US.

  • This is a wonderful interview, engaging, informative and full of great memories and human interest. Thank you. I learned so much and enjoyed the read! (No need to enter me this time.)

  • mona’s influence upon the current work seemns fascinating to me. it is sad that she had an untimely death, but she composed some really awesome scents. her vanille perfume is to die for (sorry for the language) and I would really be interested to try the house’s eandeavours coming from mona’s post-death era. I own and adore her vanille, and would love to try the new bohea boheme.
    the solilore i’d like to sniff from the house would be linden blossom. I LOVE the oud/osmanthus they have in their portfolio, and it is the next purchase from the house I want to make.
    I live in Romania (Europe).

  • “Its about the passion of creating something that people enjoy.” What a varied life they have all lived. Going from place to place and experiencing all the different cultures. The solliflore I would like them to explore is wild ginger. I live in the USA. Thanks for the opportunity.

  • Great review. Love getting the insight into Fredrick’s inspirations, and materials. What wonderful mentors he has had! Roudnitska’s garden is always inspirational, I’d love to see it some day.
    Bohea Boheme sounds delightful. Please enter me for the draw! Canada please and thank you.

  • My favorite one by him: “What a wonderful job where you never can be fully taught.” Simple and powerful. I would love to try vanilla soliflore.
    Thanks for the generous draw! (EU)

  • Wonderful story! I van feel the passion within Fredrik Dalman approuches his work and it’s so fascinating. I live inItaly, but I’ve born and grew up in Estonia – a nordic country as Sweden is. In my childhood memorirs there will always be a place for deep forests, snow and fireplaces and I truly hope to find some hints to them in Fredrik’d work. I like that the smell of Sunflowers surrounds Fredrik’s mum in his memories even she doesn’t wore this perfume any more.
    I would love Fredrik to creat something wonderful around lily. That’s a flower I liked most when I was a kid.
    And I do love many of Mona’s perfumes. I guess Musc is my favorite. Thank you!

  • Ohh, I forgot the quote…. I really like this:
    ” The biggest enemy of success is the fear of failure”

  • Young, talented, solid background in perfumery, even sommelier !, F. Dalman is the first known Swedish nose, as far as I know…
    “Mother Nature beat me to it, typical.” – a realistic and humble point of view from a perfumer !

    A well balanced fragrance around cardamom would be a great idea, actually…

    I love Cuir by Mona di Orio!

    I’m from the EU.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • It might sound boring, because it’s done so many times, but I would love him to create a soliflore of rose. Although rose has been created as a soliflore often, I find all very different. Rose never gets boring 🙂 Very interesting that Frederic Dalman’s olfactive memories are sage sausages and steam trains. I can totally relate to this, mine are are ordinary clean dirt and petrol. Amsterdam is a vivid city indeed. I also live in the Netherlands. Thank you for this wonderful draw. Bohea Boheme sounds awesome!

  • I would like to see a soliflore of Gardenia, after reading this interview I see how much Fredik loves nature and respects it, that’s why he also learnt to love wine because it is sometehing nature offers to us, we just need to know how to get it , with “the respect for all the beauty nature provides us” and Gardenia beeing such a difficult flower to make a fragrance , it would be interesting to see how it was 😉
    My favourite Mona di Oio perfumes is Myrrh Casati..and Rose Etoile d’Hollande.
    I live in EU, thanks for the draw.

  • I found it interesting that he is building from an educational background in wine and food, and that his early childhood scent memories are of sage sausage and steam engines, which has something poetic about it – as in the scents that capture the imagination of a young boy, and are somehow evocative of a very blissful childhood. Also the fact that words and playing with them/wondering at them plays a big role in his imagination. I would love to smell a jasmine – inspired by persian poetry!
    Thank you for the draw, would love to smell Bohea Boheme – and I live in Austria 🙂

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    what a fascinating interview! Bertrand Duchaufour makes him solid perfumer IMO, besides that he never fully taught. I would love to see a soliflore of Opium (Poppy) or Rose or Lilac or Iris.
    I love wearing Oiro by Mona di Orio…..the only perfume that I have from Mona di Orio. Bohea Boheme sounds great. Would love to win.
    Thanks to the generosity of Jeroen, Frederik and Henricke & Cafleurebon for the opportunity.
    Peshawar, Pakistan

  • I enjoyed reading about Fredrik’s childhood in Sweden. I also liked reading about his travels and interest in wine and food. He said it is his life’s mission to smell and taste everything the world has to offer. That’s a great mission to have in this life.
    i wonder what Fredrik would create with jasmine as a soliflore.
    My favorite Mona di Orio fragrance is Nuit Noire.
    i live in the USA.

  • wonderful review. A soliflore I would wish for would be composed around iris. my favotite Mona di Orio perfume is Oudh Osmanthus.
    I am in Europe. thank you!

  • Very nice review. I have never had a chance to try any of Mona Di Orio Perfume, so I would very glad If I would be the lucky winner. Thank you for the chance. I live in Europe.

  • It’s the most interesting interview I can ever remember reading, so thanks Michelyn Camen for writing it. I think that rose soliflore would be nice. love this part: “Grasse made me respect the craftsmanship of perfumery and created a sense of belonging in the history of scent making.”

    I live in Europe.

  • Very interesting review! My favorite quote is “the biggest enemy of success is the fear of failure”. I like many fragrances from this house, I think Nuit Noire is my favorite. I would love to try Bohea Boheme. Thank you for the draw, I live in the EU.

  • Lovely stories he had to share with us, I liked when he said ” I’m trying to capture the essence of why she made perfumery her life’s work.”. I only tried a few of this house’s perfumes and the one I like the most is Vetyver. Thanks for this draw, I live in Europe.

  • I enjoyed reading about Frederick’s childhood. What lovely memories. I hadn’t thought about the fragrance “sunflowers” in awhile. I wore that years ago before I got interested in niche lines. With his interest in wine and culinary, it should only equal fabulous scents!! I have only tried one fragrance from this line and can’t recall the name. I would love to try this one. Thanks for the draw. I live in the US.

  • What could be more exciting than to have this dream of creating perfume and work a year with Bertrand Duchaufour? My pick for soliflore would be iris. My fave MdO is Lux. USA

  • How cool is that to have wanted to ‘invent’ the scent of cardamon. Like it a lot. Interesting the discourse on the places and his childhood. I lived in Amsterdam once, its magic and I bet some more inspiration is coming from that city. Sadly, I have never had a chance to try any of Mona Di Orio Perfumes- god knows I’ve tried 🙂 soliflore? Hmmm…Freesia …I’m in NZ and thanks so much for the draw!!

  • I have been dying to try Bohea Bohème! I’m a bit obsessed with cardamom, so I was tickled to see that Frederick chose that as the note he wishes he’d created. It was a pleasure to read this interview. So many things spoke to me. I considered for many years becoming a Sommelier, although I’ve only gone as far as working through my WSET certification. There are so many similarities between experiencing a wine and experiencing perfume, right down to the language that is used. I was happy to head that they opened a Mona di Orio in Amsterdam. It really is one of my favourite cities and I’m sure a perfect place to create sublime fragrances. “Organized chaos” is such a wonderful term and I can picture the feeling of those places perfectly hearing it. That’s how I felt visiting the busiest subway station in the world (Shinjuku Station in Tokyo). It really was a perfectly organized chaos! I would love to see a magnolia solifore. I know they exist, but I’ve never tried one before.

    I live in Canada, thank you so much for the draw.

  • I love the story about Bertrand Duchaufour and the Santa 🙂
    As for the soliflore fragrance, I think I would recommend lilas but I am sure any other choice will turn out interesting. Thank you for the draw, I live in the EU.

  • What a wonderful photo of Port Louis in Mauritius, I immediately felt like I’m on holiday. I think Bohea Boheme has a potential to become my personal “holiday scent” with so many “holiday” notes like chamomile, cardamom, juniper, smoke and beeswax. It probably smells like a long walk through the forest and long, calm days spent in the bosom of nature.

    I live in the EU and I would love to try Bohea Boheme. I love Mona di Orio Musc and Violette Fumee.

  • Very interesting interview! I really appreciated he loves put something of his roots in all his creations. I am fascinated by his Nordic sensitivity and Swedish specificity. Very funny what he says about his aspirations of being the first to create the scent of cardamom. A soliflore I’d like to see created by Fredrik Dalman is a male esploration of gardenia or magnolia. I had and loved Cuir by MdO.
    I live in EU.
    Thanks!

  • Miss Sunshine says:

    Frederick seems so nice and inspiring. 🙂 I wish I could meet him in person someday. His childhood memories are amazing! I like this quote : “A lot of my inspiration comes from what I create in the kitchen.”
    I haven’t tried any Mona di Orio perfumes before.
    Thank you for the draw! I live in the EU

  • cinnamon tree says:

    i love what Fredrik says about Amsterdam: “There is this constant creative energy swirling around in the office which makes me almost bubble inside and if I ever miss the gardens of Accords & Parfums I can just dip a blotter in a bottle of May rose and it takes me right back. There is a creativity and freedom in this city that in my mind at least is quite unique and addictive”. I’ve been living there for a while and I also fell in love with the city.

    Bohea Boheme sounds really lovely. If you are looking for a single note inspiration for the next fragrance, I think Osmanthus would be perfect.

    I live in Europe and my favorite Mona di Orio scent is Musc.

  • I am a fan of Mona di Orio since the release of her first fragrances (Lux and Oiro were my favorite then). I cried when I read she passed away and I was afraid that these wonderful fragrances will disappear as well. I am so happy that there is someone like Fredrik who is keeping the great work of Mona still alive and I wish him all the best with all my heart. For me, reading the interview was really touching and emotional. Thank you for the article! EU.

  • concertslover says:

    I love that he compared wine and spirits to fragrances. I am often saying my days as a sommelier positioned me to enjoy fragrances more. I know this one has some mixed reviews. Looks like a boom or bust try but the fragrance notes sound pretty exquisite to me.
    USA
    Perhaps the Tobacco Blossom.

  • I really enjoyed this interview and love that Fredrik tries to put a little bit of his Swedish background into all of his works. I imagine it’s true that there is lots of perfume inspiration still to be found in Sweden (and northern countries in general). It will be interesting to what, if anything, he makes of that opportunity!

    My favorite Mona di Orio perfume is Musc – so gauzy and romantic. As for a soliflore, Iris is my favorite note, but it’s been done so often lately that I’d be interested to see if Fredrik could imagine a new approach. I also liked the suggestion of tobacco blossom above. I’m in the US.

  • The most interesting thing in the interview is the part about Fredrik being Swedish and how this inspired and shaped the way he understands perfumes. I personally would be very happy if he’d create a pine single note fragrance 🙂

    I live in the EU and my favorite Mona di Orio perfume is Amyitis.

  • The most beautiful perfume from this houdse is in my opinion Violette Fumee. I love flowers and I have a few ideas about the soliflore perfume, like mimosa, hibiscus and sweet pea. My favorite quote is: “A lot of my inspiration comes from what I create in the kitchen”.

    I haven’t tried Bohea Boheme. It sounds lovely and it would be great to win a bottle. Thank you for the draw!

    (EU)

  • I have Scandinavian ancestors so hearing anything interesting about the icy landscape of Sweden is always my cup of tea. If Fredrik could produce the world’s first worthwhile blueberry soliflore I would truly pay any amount for it. My favorite Mona di Orio fragrance is Cuir followed closely by Nuit Noire and I’m in the USA, thanks for the drawing.

  • What a great interview. I admire Fredrik’s approach to the brand which he summs up in this paragraph: “To me it’s more important to appreciate Mona’s passion and huge respect for the industry, the craft in itself, the materials we use and how she tells her stories. What helps me feel connected to Mona is the fact that we share the passion for wine, art, nature and perfumery. I can never be Mona and I can never create scents in the same way as she did, she had her style, heritage and I have mine. That doesn’t mean that I can’t respect what she stood for though, in fact it’s immensely important to me to respect the values of the company that she and Jeroen created together.” I think he’s doing a great job.

    My favorite fragrance is Myrrh Casati. Thanks for the interview and the draw! I live in Poland, EU.

  • Thank you for this very interesting interview. I like the analogy of perfume and wine – I see them as similar forms of art.
    My favorite Mona di Orio fragrance is Cuir. I live in Europe, thank you for the draw!

  • Great interview. I love how Fredrik described his childhood: ” I still consider it as my greatest adventure so far….We used to take these long walks over the moor, picking up daffodils and stones as souvenirs, on a less rainy day we would have lunch at a restaurant built in an old water mill, I still remember the calm clucking sound of the mill and the scent of fresh watercress.” I also have tons of fond childhood memories. Best times ever…

    Gardenia soliflore, please!

    Thank you for the draw! I live in the USA

  • I love the notes! There aren’t many fragrances with beeswax notes and this is what reminds me of my childhood: old-fashionned candles and waxed woodden furniture at my grandparents’ house.

    I am so happy that Mona di Orio perfume house is doing so well! My idea for a soliflore is acacia flower.

    I live in EU. Thanks for the draw!

  • Interesting interview with many details from his life… way through cullinary, storytelling, journalism and then to professional perfumery industry. He is really creative person! I would suggest a lime/linden blossom as a soliflore. I am in EU. Thanks a lot to all for this great draw!

  • I love this kind of stories, especially the childhood scented memories are great. I believe they make us who we are, at least I always search everywhere for scents I remember and it’s always a joyful moment when I discover a long forgotten scent which acts as a time vehicle.

    My favorite Mona di Orio is Violette Fumee. Thanks for the draw. Greetings from Norway!

  • The interview is fascinating. Wearing Sunflowers during winter is a great idea, I’m going to wear it tomorrow (not winter yet, but very cold and windy). I hope it will give me lots of energy.

    My soliflore idea is some unusual flower, like poppy or primrose.

    I live in the EU and I am very curious about Bohea Boheme. My favorite fragrance is Cuir. Thank you for the draw 🙂

  • This was such a great interview piece. From glimpses into Fredericks childhood to his education. Loved reading about how he came to meet such prolific perfumers and his opinions on their work.
    Great quotes to me:
    “I’m trying to capture the essence of why she made perfumery her life’s work”
    “I treasure my childhood enormously; I still consider it as my greatest adventure so far”
    and of course…
    “Not everyday you have Santa mixing your formulas” 🙂
    Possible soliflores-Jasmine and rose

    I live in the USA

  • I love hearing about how childhood influences a perfumer’s aesthetic. Fredrik’s childhood in Sweden sounds particularly idyllic. Even though he didn’t invent the scent of cardamom, I hope he hides it in many fragrances. I’m in the US and think a purple clover soliflore would be nice. Violette Fumee is my favorite Mona di Orio. Thanks!