Nathalie Grayson-Cetto
Nathalie Grayson-Cetto belongs to that rare breed of perfumers who trained at Givaudan's legendary academy in Zurich before ascending through the house's creative ranks. Working primarily from Givaudan's Paris atelier, she has developed a reputation for fragrances that balance muscularity with unexpected grace. Her work on Bentley for Men Intense in 2013 marked a breakthrough, demonstrating her facility with amber and spice compositions. Beyond commercial work, she has collaborated with heritage houses, contributing to Creed's Eladaria alongside Quentin Bisch and Christophe Raynaud. Those who have spoken with her note a sharp intelligence and an unpretentious approach to luxury she prefers to let materials speak rather than lean on narrative.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Nathalie composes
Her signature leans toward warm woods and resins tempered by sharp botanical clarity. Grayson-Cetto favors natural materials but isn't dogmatic about them; she reaches for synthetics when they serve the composition better. Her spice work tends toward the warm end of the spectrum rather than bright, effervescent qualities. She has a particular affinity for amber and benzoin, using them as anchors rather than focal points. Her style could be described as modernist with classical training evident in the underlying structure. Rose appears frequently in her work, though rarely as the obvious star.
Philosophy
What drives Nathalie
Grayson-Cetto describes her approach as finding elegance within structure rather than against it. She believes great fragrance requires discipline, that freedom in creation comes from mastering constraints first. Her conversations reveal someone drawn to contradiction in the best sense: warmth that surprises, spice that doesn't bite, wood that breathes. She resists the temptation to overwhelm, favoring compositions where individual elements remain distinct yet contributory. For her, the measure of success is whether someone wearing her fragrance can still identify each note even as they merge into something greater.
The houses
Maisons Nathalie composes for
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