Interview with Alberto Morillas the famous spanish perfumer. This old-style nose, as he describes himself, came in Firmenich in 1970 to work within chemistry department on the raw materials. It is a long story for this "aficionados" that couldn't imagine his creations without flowers, reminding him of his Andalusian origins. Meeting with a special artist...

What is your motto ?

Alberto : " Every day is a discovery. I wake up every morning with the dream I can find a new smell. This is my lifetime quest as a perfumer."

What is your most old olfactive souvenir from the city where you were born, Seville ?

Alberto : "The smell of flowers in the patio of my family house. Orange blossom in winter and a blend of jasmine and red carnation in summer."

How your Beaux Arts studies have influenced your creations ?

Alberto : "I have an indestructible passion for the creation, an innate curiosity for scents, colors and arts in general. I think studying at the Beaux Arts just strengthens this sensitivity. I still have the same passion and desire. For me, perfumery is an emotion. I work even if I have no brief, it is an act which feeds me. You don’t have to think about it, just to experience it. The technique is intellectual, but every perfume has to have a soul, a story and be an emotion."

What is your fragarnce signature ? The key ingredients that you most like to use in your fragrance ? Geranium? Why ?

Alberto :  "I would say fluidity, transparency and power. I use a lot outstanding Firmenich molecules, bringing new emotions and modernity. Molecules can realize the impossible! And for the natural ingredients, although I try to maintain a certain level of diversity in my creations, I do have a preference for those that reflect my Andalusia origins and that bring freshness and vitality to fragrances, such as the mineral saltiness of the air, citrus fruits and petally Mediterranean flowers including jasmine, tuberose, neroli and orange blossom, native to this region."

You have been quoted by Lili Burberry ex-chief editor of Vogue France as "each fragrance i a story/book". What would be the titles for Musk Oud from Kilian or Iris Prima recently launched by Penhaligon's ?

Alberto : "Iris Prima will be more a “behind the scenes” documentary. A deep dive into the backstage of ballet, aesthetics, rigor and emotions seen through the eyes of the perfumer. I lived a beautiful experience with the dancers of the English National Ballet, and the fragrance is a pure expression of the beauty and the elegance of their art."

Musk Oud refers to a more exclusive writing. An oriental tale designed for a circle of initiates.