Interview with MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO of Parfums D’Empire + Empires and Emotions Draw

 MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO of Parfums d'Empire

 

I remember exactly where I was when I discovered Parfums D’Empire; it was a warm afternoon September 7, 2008 and I was shopping at AEDES in New York City with a friend. Although I fell in love with Osmanthus Interdite, I was struck by the hauntingly beautiful iris in Equistrius and was intrigued by the entire concept of civilization, epochs and perfumery.. Moreover, as I sniffed each fragrance, each evoked intense emotions. Who could create such fragrant dramas and such sensations? 

Iskander

Last summer, I rediscovered with  great delight  the joy of embarking on these olfactive journeys – from Modern Japan (the cool citrus and bamboo notes) and  Yuzu Fou, the carnal candied fruits and pomegrante juices wafting from Ayizede and the sparkling neroli mingling with oakmoss and amber in Iskander.

It is with pleasure that I share with our readers this interview with Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, the founder and perfumer for Parfums D’Empire.

 MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO

When did you decide to become a perfumer?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: As a child, I was not especially attracted by perfumes but rather by plant scents, because I was curious about the different smells of a plant along the day or at various time of the year, even of the season. I was also curious about the great variety of plant smells. I think that’s why I studied the chemistry analysis of plant extracts and got a doctorate degree. Later on, I integrated the Isipca, the international institute of perfumery in Versailles, to get a degree in perfumery. After that, I worked in labs and around aromatherapy. Finally, I decided to create my own fragrances and I founded PARFUM D’EMPIRE in 2003 because I wanted to express my own vision of perfume.

After my degrees, I began to work in a research lab with two main subjects:

– The analysis of perfume plant extracts

– And the different extraction methods.

I started to create products for the aromatherapy that combines, of course, the therapeutic and the olfactory actions. Only after a few years I started to create perfumes but it was not for PARFUM D’EMPIRE.

What was the first fragrance you created and is it in the Parfum D’Empire line?

 

 MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO of Parfums d'Empire

 

EAU DE GLOIRE is the first perfume under my own brand and therefore had to express my personality. I naturally chose to evoke my Corsican roots. When I think of Corsica, where I still enjoy staying, I remember first off the scent, the smell. Of course, it recalls the well-known statement from Napoleon: “I can smell with my eyes closed the Corsican scrubland”. So do I.   

 

 I was inspired by all these Corsican people who have left their country to get a better life in different parts of the world, as my father who left    to Morocco to create   his   The most well-known of  them is of course Napoleon .  For all these people, the scent of the Corsican  scrubland is still their favorite perfume.   

 

 

Azemour, your newest fragrance is also autobiographical

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: Yes, they are both related to my childhood and I still have special attachment to these places. In AZEMOUR, I wanted to pay a tribute to Morocco, the land where my family put down their roots and where I was born. To me, this is a paradise lost and regained through the alchemy of perfumery…It is especially a tribute to the city where I grew up: Azemmour, one of the most ancient cities of the kingdom of Morocco. The word “amour” which nests in AZEMOUR also expresses my deep love for the Moroccan landscape with its dunes, wild grass and of course for my parents’ orange grove

The fragrance of your mother?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: She didn’t wear any fragrances because she hated them. Indeed she thought they were all too heady. However she loved the natural scents of flowers and plants.

What inspires your creative process?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: More than anything, I work around emotions. My perfumes are an invitation to explore the most complex and mysterious of empires: the realm of the senses.

 

Your exploration of history, notes and perfume is unique.  Notes or eras first?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: I usually start around a specific raw material and its origin drives me to the civilization that enhanced it. Some of them are created with extracts that were particularly appreciated by a specific culture.  For example, AMBRE RUSSE refers to the tsars of the Russian Empire, CUIR OTTOMAN reminds us of the Turkish bath.  …

 And others correspond to a specific feature of great civilizations such as: love (3 FLEURS), spirituality (WAZAMBA), erotic pleasure (AZIYADE) …

 At all times, the greatest civilizations have always looked for the noblest extracts for two main reasons: to celebrate gods or to seduce.

 So, I still have plenty of extracts to liven up that will make me travel through the History !

 

 Photo: Alifeworthearting.com

Favorite place in Paris for croissants?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: Ladurée, rue Bonaparte in Saint-Germain-des-prés for the croissants and especially for their “macaroons” but I eat them with a Darjeeling tea.

  

3 fleurs is  one of your most magnetic perfumes, is there a story behind that fragrance you can share?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: With this fragrance, I wanted to express the universal feeling of Love using the 3 queen flowers of perfumery that are at the same time the 3 emblematic flowers of love.  

3 FLEURS for 3 loves:

 

The rose with  its pure notes evokes the passionate love. One can give up much else, but not the rose… an exceptional flower dedicated to Venus. 

 

All the warmth of jasmine reflects the romantic love, and lets us think of A Thousand and One Nights.

And the alluring tuberose, a white flower with a scandalous perfume, refers to the forbidden love. Because this flower delivers its heady scent at night falls, it embodies the desire and the voluptuousness. So I selected the generous Bulgarian rose. Powerful but also discreet, the rose opens 3 FLEURS to a facet of purity, and then intoxicates it with its throbbing heart.I distilled it with the luminous jasmine from Egypt. Emblematic flower of romanticism, jasmine develops all its fruity and animal facets in this fragrance.  

And I blended it with the intoxicating tuberose of India. Captivating and enigmatic, the tuberose reveals the insatiability of carnal desires…
 

What music do you like?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: It is hard to tell. It depends on the occasion. I like as jazz as well as  classical music.

Greatest achievement?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: Founding my own brand PARFUM D’EMPIRE was a real challenge!  I did it to be free to create with the noblest raw materials.

 

 Introvert or extrovert?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: I express myself through all my creations. So you let me know.

 Are you planning more home fragrances…

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: Yes, I am still developing my line of candles and I am also working on another support but I can’t tell you more for the moment.

 Will you be creating solid perfumes?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: I don’t intend to do it in 2012. Maybe later.

 

 

 

 Favorite book character and which fragrance would he/she wear?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: AZIYADE for the main character of the book by Pierre Loti « Aziyadé »

 A hint for 2012?

MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO: Sorry. I don’t like to unveil my projects because I am superstitious. Wait and see !

–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

For our Draw: MARC-ANTOINE CORTICCHIATO has offered you a choice of any of his perfumes. To be eligible please leave a comment about this interview, which historical period evokes great emotion in you and be sure to leave the name of the fragrance you would like to win in the body of the comment. Draw closes January 26, 2012

Parfums D’ Empire’s thirteen fragrances:

3 Fleurs, Ambre Russe, Ayizade, Azemour, Cuir Ottoman, Eau de Gloire, Eau Suave, Equistrius, Fougere Bengal, Iskander,Osmanthus Interdite, Wazamba,Yuzu Fou

For a complete listing of each composition please see Parfums D’Empire

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77 comments

  • Joaquim says:

    I’ll be in Paris next month and now Ladurée is a must see, thanks!!
    Which historical period evokes great emotion in me? The Enlightenment (England) and the Aufklärung (Germany), both are the same historical period but in diferent places of the world and the human soul.
    I would like to win…Cuir Ottoman!

  • Nil says:

    Thank you very much Michelyn. I really enjoyed reading your interview with Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. I know and love only three of his perfumes : Cuir Ottoman, Aziyade and Wazamba. I must test all his compositions, yes 🙂

  • Ceil says:

    It is always fun to find out what inspires perfumers. The interview and the art works were fascinating. Well, I’d have to say that… 20th century…with it’s struggles and technological achievements and groundbreaking innovative art and music evokes emotion in me.

    I have not experienced any of these fragrances yet. But I think Wazamba would be the first I would like to try.

  • Cheesegan says:

    Thanks for the article, I enjoyed it. It was interesting to hear from a perfumer whose mother never wore fragrances and who receives his impressions from the scent of plants and grounds his perfumes in a sense of place by evoking the natural scents.
    The historical period that evokes great emotions in me would be the middle ages. It’s a period of time that fascinates me and terrifies me.
    I would like to win Wazamba,

  • Jan says:

    Azemour sounds interesting. It’s funny to see how Morocco evokes such inspiration for many great perfumers. Maybe it’s its proximity to Europe, yet abismal cultural leap. Or maybe it’s its utter exotism, something about a strong bond with enchanting nature and a centuries-long refining of what it has to offer. My preferred historical period is Ancient Greece: considered to be the origin of European culture, it was a time of free questioning and free enjoying. I love many of this line, but I choose Azemour because, although I haven’t tried it yet, it feels like my kind.

  • Andy Thornton says:

    Great article, and a great question. I love the sound of Azemour, it conjures the times of the silk routes and a time when perfume was more in demand than gold. Warm nights and heady perfumes. Magical.

  • Adrienne says:

    What a great interview! I love Parfum D’Empire fragrances. I reach for Yuzu often. Thank you.

    I’m inspired by 18th century Europe, a time when Rococo and Neo-classicism designs flourished. The genres resulted in stunning art and architecture. Wouldn’t it be fun to time travel to experience that era first-hand?

  • rosiegreen says:

    I have always been fascinated by the Napoleonic period in Europe. With all the cultural changes and innovations. It is inspiring to hear about Marc Antoine’s work, how he has followed his art. I would love to try all of the scents but I think my top two are Eau de Gloire or Azemour. I would love to visit Corsica and Morocco.

  • Devon H says:

    What a fascinating interview! I agree with a commenter above, I’m intrigued by the fact that he grew up with a mother who disliked fragrance and didn’t wear any. I haven’t had the pleasure of trying any of his fragrances, but I would love to start with Ayizade. Thanks so much for the draw and interview!

  • Cynthia says:

    I was very inspired when I visited Egypt to imagine Cleopatra cruising down the Nile. The whole era and what they left behind is fascinating. Like other commenters, I was interested that Marc-Antoine’s mother did not like or wear fragrance, yet loved the smell of plants. I wonder if some of the vey true to life scents today would have made a perfume lover out of her. I would love to try Wazamba. Woods and insence sounds very calming. Thank you for the draw!

  • shellyw says:

    I am new to reading this site. I must say that perfume people seem so incredibly well traveled. This article shows that again. I know little of the places but I love historical novels and Cuir Ottoman sounds like an interesting scent.

  • JessieB says:

    Thanks for the great interview! I’m fascinated by the period of the high Roman empire. So much of how we define our own civilization has roots there; I’m curious about origins and etiologies.

    I’d love to try Azemour. It’s very evocative, I think.

  • Canan says:

    Marc Antonine Corticchiato…One of the most greatest parfumeurs ever. I admire his creations. I always have been curious about him. I appreciate this interview very much. Thank you very much. It was a pleasure, this interview.

    Regards,

    Canan

  • Andrew says:

    Great interview, and good to get Marc-Antoine’s take on his line and peer into his background. I’ve had the opportunity to sample quite a few of his scents, and Cuir Ottoman is one that I found exceptionally evocative of the Period. He’s really created a very balanced scent that presents so well, so cleanly, and in such a masculine and refined way. But of the scents I’ve sampled, I can express only love and passion for Ambre Russe — it’s such an enrapturing and rich experience that words don’t quite do it justice. I’m amazed no one’s mentioned it yet.

    That would be my ‘desert island’ fragrance.

  • taffynfontana says:

    Exploring the realms trough the senses especially rang true for me. I find it interesting how his curiosity for the scent of plants developed his appetite for creating scents. For me the roaring twenties are fascinating. I would love to try Cuir Ottoman it sounds so unique and exciting a definite must try.

  • Sandi L says:

    I love the interviews, they give insight into the perfumers lives and to the spark of their creations. Marc-Antoine said as a child he was encouraged by the smell of plants and flowers at different times of the day and seasons. 🙂 Even then he was familiarizing himself with the grace of scent. I also love that he had worked in aromatherapy, it takes perfumery to a higher level IMHO. For me the Antiquity period sparks great emotion and an inner reverence. Hard choices as to which I would choose. I was intrigued by Azemour due to the Galbanum and also the Henna. So my choice would be the gift of light 😉 Great interview and Thank You Marc-Antoine for the draw.

  • Ccc says:

    Fascinating article. I love his fragrances and find them very well mastered. In each of them I can sense the creative process. Nothing is accidental.

    I am interested in many historical periods but the one that brings lots of emotions is the period coresponding to the Renaissance. It speaks to the humanity in each us.

    I would love Eau de Gloire. Just because brings lots of emotions.
    This fragrance is dreamy …

    Thank you.

  • Claudia says:

    Great article, i like that he expresses himself through his creations. I have been fortunate enough to be able to try some of them and fall in love like the Azemour, my current favorite and would like to own is the Cuir Ottoman as i am very fascinated by the Russian history.

  • Sujaan says:

    What a fascinating man. Thank you for the interview and generous draw. I love to read about a perfumiers journey. And Morocco is one place I hope I get to visit soon.
    It is hard to choose…3 Fleurs, Ambre Russe, and Osmanthus Interdite have each sparked my interest, but I think if I was lucky enough to win, I would love Equistrius.

  • Millions says:

    I’m currently fascinated with readings about Byzance empire and my biggest wish would be winning Cuir Ottoman as I’ve been circling around this one for a while now being an iris leather lover that I am.

  • Alica says:

    I am astonished with Marc-Antoine’s professional education and choosing Corsica as a basis of his scents. I spent a vacation in Corsica, it is very intersting island with myrtle as its typical plant. I am sure it’s included in some of his scents . I haven’t had opportunity to try any of them so far. Hopefully it will change soon.

  • Tama says:

    Nice interview!

    I found it interesting that a mother who hated perfume would spawn a perfumer of such high caliber.

    I have always been interested in Ancient Egypt. There is a museum here that specializes in Egyptian artifacts and I love the everyday items they have – combs and dishes and the like. You get a nice glimpse.

    I think I would have to go with Equistrius.

  • Karen says:

    I love the idea of creating a perfume for the experience and memory of a place. All the perfumes sound interesting and I want to test them! However, 3 Fleurs is the most immediately appealing to me.

  • Helle says:

    A fascinating read, thank you! An insight like this into a perfumer’s mind really deepens the appreciation for his scents. I recently read the phenomenal books by Robert Harris about Cicero and the decline of the Roman republic and they sparked a renewed interest in me for this era. Fougere Bengal would be my choice with Eau de Gloire as a close second!

  • MariaA says:

    I have been intrigued by these perfumes and wanted to try them for some time now. I would like first to try Osmanthus Interdite if I win as I am very fond of this flower. My favorite time would be the Ancient Greece for the spiritual blooming as well as because it was a time when people gave also great care in their bodies, they were very well groomed and perfumed with oils and the food was carefully prepared.

  • marcopietro says:

    I’m a fan of many of Cortichiatto and I love his creations. My favorite are Eau de Gloire, Fougere Bengale and Ambre Russe but my choice at moment is Azemour. Thanks for the interwiew, I really like it.

  • Rob says:

    I really like the idea of associating perfumes with the scents of a given place in a given time period. That’s really creative perfumery in all its glory.
    I am fascinated by Paris at the turn of the century, the Belle Epoque.
    My perfume of choice is Eau de Gloire.

  • Jade says:

    I greatly enjoyed reading this interview. As for the period I am most fascinated with, it would have to be Antiquity; so many secrets and questions about that period remain hidden and unanswered. The perfume I would like to try is 3 Fleurs, it sounds mesmerizing.

  • Larimar says:

    Thanks Michelyn for a very interesting interview! I think MAC’s background story is fascinating. What I appreciate most in his creations is that I can really see/smell the picture/idea/story. My favorite would be Ambre Russe so far, but if I were the lucky one, I would want to go with Azemour!

  • Irina says:

    thank you for another interesting interview
    I found it fascinating that Mr. Cortichiatto grew up with a mom that did not like perfume, he came a long, long way since…
    as for the fascinating period in history, for me it will always be the ancient pre-classical Greece ( wonder what perfumes Cretan used…)
    My choice would be Ambre Russe, if I get lucky…

  • yash says:

    I am a great fan of Mr Corticchiato`s work and his lys cxasablanca is swoon worthy. I am fascinated by Ancient Greece and its rampant polytheism..I would love to try Ambre Russe..
    thank you
    yash

  • yash says:

    I am a great fan of Mr Corticchiato`s work and his lys cxasablanca is swoon worthy. I am fascinated by Ancient Greece and its rampant polytheism..I would love to try Ambre Russe..

  • Tara says:

    Great interview with the man behind a great line of fragrances. I enjoyed reading about what inspires his perfumes, namely the realm of the emotions and the raw material. The historical period that I’m drawn to is the Art Deco period. I love that design aesthetic and the new sense of freedom that came with the times, particularly for women. The fragrance I would love to own if I’m lucky enough, is Equistrius. Many thanks for the wonderful draw!

  • RM says:

    What a fascinating interview! I really enjoy these perfumer interviews as it really gives an interesting insight into the creative process that goes into the final product. Would love to be entered in the draw!

  • Evgeniy says:

    I’m a fan of many of Parfum’d Empire. My favorite one Cuir Ottoman – a perfect leather-iris scent but my choice for the draw is Azemour. I think that Art Nuovo period is the most facinating for me. Thanks for the interwiew, I really like it.

  • stellaglo says:

    both azemour and 3 fleurs are intriguing stories. the time period which inspires me most is the dark ages, survival during those years must have been brutal. i would lvoe to see a perfume inspried by that time.
    of the parfum d’empire fragrances i have tried, i adore cuir ottoman the best, but i would love the try azemour.

  • Borko Boris says:

    Thanks for the giveaway. I would like to win Cuir Ottoman because I am a lover of leather fragrances and because I want to see how this part of the Orient would smell like as I had not had the opportunity to smell anything that reminds me of Turkey.

  • Laurentiu says:

    Thanks for the article. I like Marc-Antoine’s vision and approach towards his creations.
    If I were to win, my pick would be Wazamba for I am attracted to things that are connected to mysticism, spirituality.

  • Ursula says:

    Very interesting interview. I especially liked the reference to his childhood memories in Morocco, when he said: “To me, this is a paradise lost and regained through the alchemy of perfumery.”

    Although I personally have no such special place of perfume memory, my preference would be his new creation AZEMOUR.

    Thanks for the opportunity.

  • Michelle Hunt says:

    I enjoyed Marc-Antoine’ s response to the introvert/Extrovert question, it made me smile, and is telling of the creative spirit. So many time periods inspire me, so I would have to express favoritism of our present time… because through music, and all art forms, including perfume, we can experience the essence of eras past…whicever strikes our fancy at any given moment. I would love to enter to win Eau Suave!

  • Fernando says:

    Very nice interview. I only discovered his line recently, but it has me impressed. And the prices are good as well. I think I’d put 3 Fleurs at the top of my want list, narrowly beating out Cuir Ottoman.

  • Holly F. says:

    I’m kind of obsessed with literature depicting the Roaring Twenties, so I’d have to go with that as a time period. Wazamba fascinates me, as it seems to be everything I’ve been looking for in a pine-y, incense-y fragrance that I haven’t found yet. I’d really love to try it! Thanks so much for the interview, I really enjoyed reading it, and I suspect Marc-Antoine may be an introvert (as am I). Other than that, my favorite quote was “One can give up much else, but not the rose…” Priceless.

  • rosarita says:

    Thank you so much for this interview! Pd’E is one of my very favorite perfume lines. I was esp. interested in Marc-
    Antoine’s background in aromatherapy and how that experience informs the perfumes created for Parfums d’Empire. As to time periods, my love of Ambre Russe has caused me to do some research into the history of Russia – the only time I’ve been inspired to study based on a response to a perfume. The next Pd’E on my wishlist is Wazamba.

  • Ellen Covey says:

    It’s interesting to see how many perfumers have advanced degrees of some sort, are fascinated by plants, and have lived somewhere on the Mediterranean. I would like to try Azemour.

  • Fabrice says:

    Thank you for the interesting interview, as always. One of the historical time periods I am drawn to is the Victorian Era. As for what perfume to receive, should I win, it’s a difficult choice as I quite like many of Parfums d’Empire’s offerings. But I’ll go for Cuir Ottoman. 🙂

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    Great interview, my favorite part is him telling that his creations are to explore the most complex and mysterious of the empires: the realm of the senses.
    Egypt has always fascinated me in all its aspects.
    If I win I’d love to get Cuir Ottoman. Once again thanks for a great interview and the cool draw.

  • cassandra parker says:

    Hello Michelyn, Thank-you for the great interview and great read. I really liked, Marc wanting to pay tribute to the land where his family put down their roots. His deep love for the Moroccan landscape with it’s dunes, wild grass and of course his parents. I would choose Azemour to win, to feel his passion for his past. I do not have a favorite historical time period. I find them all fascinating.

  • ololiuqui says:

    I’m a big fan of incense.Oman is known for one of the best frankincesne.This territory has interesting history.It has been taken over many times from different countries,but saved their traditions including in perfumery and today Oman is still known for the frankincense.
    Making relation to the histroy of this country Muskat was taken by the Ottoman empire for a short period of time.My interest is in Cuir Ottoman.

  • Sean says:

    The idea of historical empire inspired fragrances is fantastic. I would love to see one for the Mongol period in China. The mix and tensions of cultures during that period would be great to experience in a perfume.
    I’d love to win Cuir Ottoman.

  • Lindaloo says:

    Another interesting interview. Thankyou. Fascinating that he was initially driven by his curiosity about how plants’ smells changed over the day or seasons.
    The historical period that evokes the most emotion in me is the Renaissance — the flowering of knowledge and the arts after the restrictions and insularity of the Dark Ages.

    If I were the lucky winner I’d love to have the Azemour — I’ve heard very good reports of this Moroccan orange grove-inspired beauty.

  • Mika Elli says:

    Ancient Greece and Egypt have always fascinated me a lot, there’s so much mythology with all the gods, hero tales and rituals etc. Thank you for the great interview, nice to get a view inside Marc-Antoine’s creativity. And the most enticing tidbit is that apparently something new is coming from PdE during 2012… If I win in the draw, I’d choose a bottle of Azemour. I just finished a sample of it, and I absolutely love it!

  • Edward Libassi says:

    I absolutely love interviews with perfumers like this. It’s so amazing to see the thought process, the art and inspiration that creates such beautiful fragrances. My favorite era would be the Renaissance, mostly for its people and their innovation. It was a time where things were so simple yet elaborate. To think about the people of the era and the intricate attention to details in their world at the time is purely magical.
    I would love a bottle of that sweet iris found in Equistrius 🙂

  • Feliciag says:

    A great interview and I loved the pictures esp the croissant! The historical period that ismost interesting to me is the Baroque era. the style the candle light the art I want to giveit all a big hug! It was a great period to study in Art History. The influences of powerful families on the art and cultiure we look at today. The culture is intoxicating. The use of gold leaf and marble stones. I cant imagine how those oils must have smelled on the textiles of the royals! Imagine the raw silks and how they interpreted the smell of the oils from China and India?
    Except, for the whole lack of medicine and occasional plauge, caste system it seems like a sweet time to experience life to me!
    I the luckiest winner is me then I would choose 3 Fleurs for three loves. It has been said that in everyones life they have three great loves.
    Thanks Cafleurebon and also to Marc Antoine for this awesome draw:)

  • Diana says:

    I would loooove to try 3 fleurs, rose, jasmin and tuberose are my favourites ! I’m very attracted by the 18th century, sometimes I dream I lived in those times…Thank you for the draw, Marc Antoine is a great perfumer.

  • Lisa says:

    I already own Wazamba. It is beautiful.

    For this draw, I would choose Azemour. I think the portrait of Morocco here is lovely, and I would so enjoy experiencing that.

    I have a huge interest in the 17th century, the time of European colonial enterprises. So many awful things were perpetrated, and the world was changed because of it.

  • ana says:

    i got a set of samples for the entire line and i was most pleasantly surprised. they’re all really good quality fragrances and each of them attracts me in a way, but is ambre russe and azemours les orangers that i like most. i would love to win ambre russe because i already have diorella which i find very close in spirit to azemours. the historical period that moves me is end of 19th century beginning of the 20th. the progress achieved in great leaps in those times imbued people with a wonderful zest for life and fun. also i find it a very stylish period, fashion wise. great perfumes were created and worn.

  • Karina says:

    i love how *visual* these scents are – it’s always fascinating to read a ‘background’ story of creation of a scent 😀 a great article on a great perfumeur.
    i’m an india-phile & admire all things indian: the vedic period, the golden age, buddha, the maharajas and empires, the trading & spice-filled ships, and the colonial era…
    winning wazamba would be awesome – i’m hopelessly in love with it, but for some reason i still didn’t get to acquiring a bottle :/

  • Isa says:

    I loved the interview! I have always liked Parfum d’Empire scents and I enjoyed a lot knowing more about the line and its creator. I had no idea that he had worked for other brands before creating Parfum d’Empire.
    And I’ll take note of the place for the best croissants! Yum!

    Middle age evokes great emotion in me. I don’t know why I feel so attracted by that period.

    I’d love to win Aziyadé. I’m addicted to spicy perfumes. Thanks!

  • samberg says:

    How strangely funny and ironic that his mom hated perfume. Usually Mom’s Perfume is a keystone point for perfumers and perfumistas alike.

    When I was a child I devoured books about Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology, then in college I studied ancient languages and classical cultures. Appropriately, I would like to try the uncluttered iris of Equistrius that harkons to those days of the “global” Roman empire.

  • Asali says:

    I love the interviews and the profiles her at CFB, and now we have been spoiled with two great such in the last few days. Simply wonderful. I do love hearing the thoughts of the perfumer, through the words you get a bit closer to them in the perfumes they create, which is why I especially enjoyed the answers about his inspirations for certain fragrances. I might have said it before but Vienna in 1900, when it was still the Austro-Hungarian empire I find very fascinating and worth of its own Pd’E fragrance. I love so many of the Parfum d’Emoires but I would choose the beautiful Equistrius.
    Thank you so much for the interview and the draw:-)

  • katror says:

    I love the evocative pictures that go with this interview. My favorite empire for reading about (in English or in Latin) is the Ancient Roman empire. That said, the perfume in his line that most interests me is Azemour. Thanks for the draw!

  • brigitte says:

    Paris during the impressionist movement….I am drawn to that historical period.The Musee D’Orsay was my favorite tourist attraction during my two visits to France. Extremely difficult to choose which perfume I would love to try…they all sound so wonderful and intriguing!i If I were to be so lucky to win I would pick Eau de Gloire given that this was Marc’s first masterpiece (and I like anise as a note in my fragrances).
    thank you for the draw!

  • carol says:

    I am drawn to the Roaring Twenties, or the Jazz Age, a term I believe was coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald. But having recently finished the new biography of Catherine the Great, I know that is another period I want to learn more about! I would love to try Azemour, as Morocco was it’s inspiration and one of my favorite destinations.

  • just breathe says:

    Ancient Egypt fascinates me….. I find it interesting that Marc-Antoine’s mother did not like perfume. My love of fragrance is the influence of my mother exclusively 🙂
    Would love to try Osmanthus Interdite….thank you for the draw!

  • karin says:

    Loved this interview – thanks so much for posting it! I have a bottle of 3 Fleurs, and love reading about M. Cortichiatto’s inspiration for it.

    As to historical period that inspires me – I love the turn of the century – Art Nouveau – and the artistry of the time.

    My choice would be the newest scent – Azemour. Thank you!

  • harper says:

    lovely interview (they really all are 🙂 — and spectacular and evocative artwork!

    favorite period for me, not that i want to live there, but hey — are the middle ages, the earlier the better (no, i *definitely* don’t want to live there! but i can read about that period without ever getting bored.)

    would love to have another bottle of cuir ottoman — i once owned it and for some now unfathomable reason divested myself of it. that, i tell you, was a mistake!

  • Lynne1962 says:

    It is interesting that both his Corsican and Moroccan roots have influenced his fragrances ( EAU DE GLOIRE & Azemour).
    I can see both influences in his scents! I love the whole line!!!
    The middle ages is my favorite period to investigate!
    I would love to own Azemour,,and thanks for the draw!!

  • Nicolai R. says:

    Another great interview and a great giveaway too. Thanks for both of them.
    My choice would be Cuir Ottoman. I do not know why, but this name sounds very good to my ears. And when I hear it I imagine the powerful Ottoman Army from the medieval times.

  • Brooke says:

    I have fallen in love with this line in 2011. I purchased Ambre Russe and Cuir Ottoman. Both are stunning and have the ability to transport me to an exotic place and time. I would love to try Azemour. I love the idea of a modern chypre with an orange note…delicious. It seems timeless and not rooted to a specific era.

  • Jan says:

    I’d love to win Yuzu Fou, since I’m a fool for green perfumes, starting from my teen days when I wore Vent Vert.

  • Maureen says:

    I was delighted to learn he likes jazz. I too love jazz, and wish I could have been around in the Jazz Age. i would love to try Azemour.

  • Olga says:

    I appreciate the artists’s desire to express himself through creations and not answer personal questions. Bob Dylan does that, too, and he is my all-time icon. Really, what is the point in asking him about what he thinks about politics or religion when there is so many excellent songs to hear? Of course, an artist does not always translate directly into an author’s hero, but that is exactly the nature of the fun puzzle to solve. Oh yes, I do love puzzles that take lifetime to solve.

    I love the interview series at Cafleurebon when the artists come alive and uncensored.

    There are several periods in history that make me tingle, one is the time of Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth the I. The strife between two women, between two lands, two cultures, two religions and two crowns came to a culmination there — or so it seems, the true climax might have come much later with the execution of Charles the I to which execution of Mary Stuart has paved the way.

    Another time that I have been always fascinated by was the before-historic time of ancients, but not even the ancients themselves, but the time of their gods and goddesses. I grew up reading these stories, and as a child I thought that the stories described, literally, a pre-historic time. I still think so sometimes 🙂

    I cannot resist the urge to ask for Ambre Russe – unsniffed!

  • mim says:

    Thanks Marc-Antoine and cafleurbin for the draw!

    rI liked the part in the interview wherer Marc-Antoine mentioned the Corsican scrubland as the dominant sense-memory and favorite scent of Corsicans who’ve left home. The ties of scent to places—Corsica, Morocco– as well as historical eras and figures makes a lot of sense to me, even if the resulting scent is evocative of an imagined place or and imagined past.
    Lovely picture of a blue house too,

    Also, the bit about being superstitious about projects/plans–rings true for me as well, and probably many others.

    Epochs, eras, hmmm…. I like a lot of historical periods. The Age of Sail/British Empire period was problematic, but there is something very appealing about it all the same (mabe this is from watching Horatio Hornblower and also learning about India).

    But in terms of emotional intensity, not just curiosity, I really liked studying the ancient Near East (2000-ish BCE to about 100ish CE) because I felt a connection to the people who lived then and there, and the ways in which their cultures developed and can contextualize the development of monotheism.
    ALso, I loved learning in history of religion about the Axial Age roughly 2500 years ago (800 to 200 BCE), when Buddhism began and the Jewish Bible was written/coallated and Daoism and Confucianism began…. So much was happening then, it seems like a time when humanity was flourishing and fully engaged spiritually.

    I would love to try Wazamba which was classed above as the ‘spiritual’ scent (though Aziyade sounds very tempting as well!)

  • DrK says:

    Thanks for this giveaway! A very interesting read. I would like to win a Cuir Ottoman for I love the roughness of leather combined with the enveloping aura of burnt incense.

  • Paul Matem. says:

    Lovely interview! I would like to try Cuir Ottoman because of the description of what it should reminds us of and because of the notes that are some of my favourites.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  • Vlad B. says:

    I would love to win Ambre Russe since it would be a connection to my russian roots. My name is Vlad, which comes from the russian Vladimir, therefore Ambre Russe seems the perfect choice for a man like me who has some russian blood in his veins.