The Artisan
The Story of Serge Majoullier
Serge Majoullier grew up surrounded by the lavender fields and jasmine gardens of Grasse, the city where the world's most storied perfumers have long made their home. He pursued studies in chemistry and economics before joining the MANE Group, one of the fragrance industry's foundational houses. His early years in the analysis and chromatography department gave him an unusually technical foundation. He moved into essential oils and floral products, where he discovered his true calling as a nose. By 1995, he had risen to director of perfumery, a role he held through 2002 before choosing to focus entirely on the craft itself. Throughout his career, Majoullier has maintained close ties to raw material research and extraction innovation, believing that understanding where an ingredient comes from transforms how you work with it. He has created fragrances for Giorgio Armani Privé, Jo Malone London, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nuxe, Viktor & Rolf, Lolita Lempicka, and L'Occitane en Provence, among others. More recently, he brought his vision to Rumad, the independent house where he continues to explore bold, uncompromising territory.
Philosophy
Majoullier treats fragrance as a form of storytelling, drawing equally from nature's catalog and from everyday sensory memories. He has spoken about the iris flower reminding him of chocolate tones, a connection that inspired an entire accord in Armani Privé La Femme Bleue. He looks to the culinary world not as a source of literal mimicry but as a parallel creative discipline, noting that chefs, like perfumers, compose with contrasting flavors and textures. Travel plays a significant role in his process. Each destination becomes a olfactory sketch, a record of market stalls, coastal air, or evening jasmine on ancient streets. Majoullier believes in the power of unexpected combinations, describing his Rumad creation Never Told as 'controlled madness,' a fragrance that holds back just enough to intrigue while delivering undeniable intensity. He approaches each new project as a narrative act, asking what story the juice needs to tell before he considers what ingredients will tell it.
Creative Approach
Majoullier operates comfortably in both maximalist and refined registers. His work spans the lush caramel vanilla of Viktor & Rolf Bonbon to the precise, tea-driven minimalism of the Jo Malone Rare Teas collection, a six-fragrance series including Silver Needle, Oolong, and Midnight Black Tea that demonstrates his skill with delicate, literary compositions. His gourmand instincts are well known, but he rarely stops at simple sweetness. He layers in contrast: bitter coffee against juicy stone fruit, creamy sandalwood against sharp floral edges, creamy against smoky. Patchouli appears frequently as an anchor, providing earthiness that prevents his creations from floating away entirely. For L'Occitane en Provence, he found elegance in woody vetiver (Olivier Ondé) and rich shea (Karité Corsé). His signature tends toward opulent oriental warmth tempered by something unexpected, whether a bitter note, a tea-like clarity, or a touch of rebellious spice.
At a Glance
1995
31+ years of craft
1
Total career creations
1
Single house focus
3.5
Community sentiment
Signature Style
“Majoullier operates comfortably in both maximalist and refined registers.”
Notable Creations
Bonbon
Bonbon Couture
La Femme Bleue
Silver Needle Tea
Midnight Black Tea