Isaac Sinclair
Isaac Sinclair grew up amid the pine‑scented hills of Auckland, where the forest taught him to listen to subtle shifts in aroma. After finishing secondary school, he chased a childhood dream across the globe, enrolling in Symrise’s perfumery program in France. There he apprenticed under Maurice Roucel, absorbing a disciplined approach to raw material selection and composition. By his mid‑twenties, Isaac earned the title of Master Perfumer, a distinction that still makes him New Zealand’s sole holder. He set up a Paris studio, where he began crafting for major fashion houses and niche houses alike, delivering scents for DKNY, agnès b., and the Silloria 100 collection. In recent years he relocated to São Paulo, Brazil, where he continues to guide a multinational team while mentoring emerging noses. His career blends the rigor of a corporate laboratory with the curiosity of an explorer, and each new launch adds a chapter to the evolving story of contemporary niche fragrance.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Isaac composes
Isaac’s technique favors clean, linear constructions that reveal each component in turn. He often builds around a luminous citrus or green heart, then anchors the scent with a rare wood or resin that adds depth without heaviness. His signature includes the use of New Zealand native botanicals—rimu, manuka, and tāne mahuta—paired with classic French absolutes. He prefers high‑purity extracts, allowing subtle nuances to surface. In the lab he works quickly, trusting his nose to capture a fleeting impression before it fades, then refines the blend with precise measurements. The final fragrance feels both immediate and lingering, a hallmark of his balanced approach.
Philosophy
What drives Isaac
Isaac believes that scent should echo the world outside the bottle, not hide from it. He pursues ingredients that tell a place’s character—rain‑kissed eucalyptus, sun‑warmed sandalwood, or a single wild orchid. Sustainability guides his sourcing; he favors suppliers who protect ecosystems and honor traditional harvest methods. Creativity, for him, starts with a single note that sparks memory, then expands through disciplined layering. He treats each formula as a conversation between nature and technology, letting the material speak before he adds structure. The result feels honest, modern, and unmistakably personal.
The houses
Maisons Isaac composes for
In the same league