Maud Chabanis
Maud Chabanis entered the fragrance world with a Master’s in Cosmetic Engineering and Perfumes from Montpellier’s ICAP program. Fresh from the lab, she joined PC Worldwide (PCW) as a perfumer and quickly rose to Creative Director, where she now guides a team of scent makers and translates client briefs into wearable stories. Rather than treating formulas as equations, Maud approaches each composition as a canvas, drawing on her background in chemistry only when it serves the mood she wishes to evoke. Her breakout work, the vibrant “Berry Coffee & Mango Incense,” captured the playful contrast of sunrise markets and earned her a reputation for bold, unexpected pairings. Since then she has built a portfolio that balances commercial demands with an unmistakable artistic voice, earning the trust of niche houses and luxury brands alike.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Maud composes
Maud’s signature technique rests on contrast. She often pairs a bright, juicy fruit accord with a smoky, resinous heart, letting the two extremes dance before settling into a warm, earthy base. Ingredients such as ripe mango, tart berries, freshly roasted coffee, and incense‑laden woods appear repeatedly in her work, each treated with precise layering to avoid cloying sweetness. She favors natural extracts when they retain their original character, but she does not shy away from modern synthetics that add longevity or a subtle metallic edge. In the lab she builds compositions by sketching a “note map,” then iterates through micro‑adjustments, listening for the moment when the scent breathes on skin as naturally as a spoken phrase.
Philosophy
What drives Maud
Maud believes scent should act like a memory‑trigger, a fleeting glimpse of a place or feeling that resurfaces with each breath. She gathers inspiration from street stalls, the texture of fabric, and the rhythm of music, then distills those impressions into a handful of key notes. For her, the creative spark ignites when a single aroma can suggest an entire scene, so she spends hours refining the balance between top‑lightness and base depth. Collaboration fuels her process; client stories become the backbone of a formula, while her own curiosity pushes her to experiment with rare botanicals and avant‑garde synthetics. The result is a fragrance that feels both intimate and expansive, anchored in emotion rather than trend.
The houses