Color Theory
“I generally stick to a neutral color palette—black, white, gray, and beige, highlighted with some shine, like my favorite gray patent-leather shoes from the first summer collection Hedi Slimane did for Dior Homme.” 212-421-6009; www.diorhomme.com
National Pride
“Of course, being French, I gravitate toward French designers. My jeans are usually Lanvin. And my favorite piece of clothing right now is a Chanel Homme black-and-white cashmere tweed zip-up cardigan I bought in the Tokyo store.” Lanvin, 33-1/44-71-31-25; www.lanvin.com. Chanel, 800-550-0005; www.chanel.com.
Ritual Time
“My black ceramic Chanel J12 chronograph is my everyday watch. I switch to the white version in the summer. With a dressier suit I wear a sixties Revue Thommen timepiece given to me by my father.” Chanel, 800-550-0005; www.chanel.com. Revue Thommen, 41-61/971-4255; revue-thommen.ch.
Signature Scent
“I wear my own perfume—a masculine jasmine. It is fresh, green, elegant, and, unfortunately, not yet available. L’Homme de Coeur by Divine comes pretty close. I also wear whatever fragrances I am developing for Givaudan, the company I work for. It’s the best way to test people’s reactions.” 33-2/99-46-56-41; divine.fr
Favorite Things
“Chanel No. 19 is the quintessentially chic statement in perfume. It makes me smile each time I catch it in the air—you can recognize each quality ingredient. Also, it’s what my mother wore before she switched to the perfumes I created.”
Fact or Fiction?
“There are a lot of myths associated with being a perfumer. They say coffee beans clear your nose. I just smell my sleeve instead.”
