The Brand Impasse des parfums

During my medical studies, I had the good fortune to stay in a grand house. There was a garden, and at the far end of this garden, a dilapidated warehouse with difficult access, which we were strongly advised not to enter. Needless to say, I was more than eager to do the opposite of what I was advised.

It was a wonderful discovery. There were stills, bottles, all sorts of containers, an atmosphere of twilight, cobwebs, a laboratory, and alchemy. I immediately realised it was an old perfume workshop, probably one of the last in the city.

This house was located on "IMPASSE DES PARFUMS," and it was my address throughout my medical studies.

The next discovery came years later, after I joined the faculty at our medical school. I had always been fascinated by the history of this faculty and its botanical garden, and even more so when I uncovered its extensions: the history of Montpellier perfumes,,the history of Montpellier’s perfumes, intertwined with botany, apothecary practices, and the tanning industry. This olfactory and commercial saga, filled with perfumer-glovers, renowned perfumers, and royal perfumers summoned to the French court for over a century—starting with Louis XIV—is a fantastic and overlooked adventure that we felt it was our duty to bring out of obscurity and restore to its former glory.

It only took a few meetings, a lot of thought, a flood of ideas, a constant spirit of creativity, and a shared enthusiasm to awaken a legendary past.

When it came to fragrance development, we were delighted to work with Concept Aromatique, a southern France company specialized in the development and production of contemporary scents, founded in 1994 by Frédéric de Los Rios.

From the start, we had settled on the idea of fragrances based on white flowers intended for a unisex clientele.

After extensive research conducted by Concept Aromatique and numerous tests with a targeted audience, we chose four floral compositions: :

• lilac, a spring flower with crisp green notes;
• tuberose, an enchanting flower;
• orange blossom, richly balsamic and evocative of carefree moments;
• lily, a silent flower whose floral quality was accentuated by the addition of spicy notes.

Passionate about perfume since my earliest childhood, and after working for 15 years in the cosmetics industry, I took the rather audacious step of pursuing my childhood dream and becoming a perfumer by joining the international perfume school in Grasse: The Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP) in 2019.

I then joined Le Parfumeur Français with master perfumer Joelle Lerioux-Patris, who imparted her expertise, passion, and precision in creating rich and distinctive perfumes.

I am now a perfumer at Concept Aromatique, led by Frédéric de Los Rios, but I also teach at the GIP to share this passion that drives me every day.

From the outset of the project, our intention was to combine art and fragrance.

From the outset of the project, we intended to combine art and fragrance. Frédérique Gilloux’s art, trained in drawing at the Montpellier School of Fine Arts, reflects the influence of a youth spent in Madagascar, an island of nature, colour, and light.Frédérique describes herself as a "colourist." Her paintings are initially covered with basic, almost symbolic shapes—fish, cacti, birds—whose simplicity allows her to fill them with vibrant hues.

We asked her to "colour our perfumes" based on white flowers. As a lover of colour, she naturally chose to envelop them in strong, sunny, Mediterranean shades.

We let her follow her inspirations. Afterwards, we selected and isolated specific details from her paintings to adorn our packaging and boxes.

In collaboration with Maison Fabre, a luxury glove-maker based in Millau that will celebrate its centenary in 2024, Impasse des Parfums continues the tradition of Montpellier’s perfumer-glove-makers.

Choosing Maison Fabre reflects our commitment to highlighting local creators who are deeply invested in the arts and who passionately uphold French craftsmanship, such as high-quality tailoring. The company, which combines heritage, modernity, and transmission, sources its leathers primarily from European tanneries and regularly trains new talents in its workshop. Our scented gloves are crafted with the utmost respect for traditional techniques. The leathers are sourced from sheep raised predominantly under organic certification.

Our scented gloves are crafted with the utmost respect for traditional techniques. The leathers are sourced from sheep raised predominantly under organic certification.

Discover the Impasse des parfums scented gloves

A book was needed to accompany this adventure, to refresh memories, unearth forgotten or dormant ideas, help refine the past to better forecast the future, and offer enthusiasts an object of culture, analysis, and entertainment.

It required a comprehensive historical research into the former grand perfumery of Montpellier, exploring the domains and sciences intersected to achieve this excellence. Stories of the city, the region, medicine, surgery, botany, apothecary practices, perfumery, and ... fashion…

The author, a former journalist and occasional photographer, has conducted this investigation and crafted his book Impasse des Parfums: The Story of Montpellier’s Fragrances with joy, insight, and meticulousness.
We are pleased to present this study, which will take its place among the reference works on the subject.

Find out more about the book Impasse des parfums