Origin and training: ISIPCA, studio discipline, early years of apprenticeship
Karine Chevallier is one of those quiet masters whose career began in Grasse and found its own form in Paris. After studying at ISIPCA, she trained as a perfumer with Mark Buxton at Haarmann & Reimer – a school of precision, raw material knowledge and patient formulation. These fundamentals continue to shape her style today: clear structures, nuanced contrasts, emotional restraint with a long finish.
Olfactive Design: the independent path
After working in the industry, she took the step towards independence: Chevallier founded Olfactive Design and has since worked as a freelance perfumer for houses in Paris, Grasse and international niche labels. Her own website describes her credo as ‘passion and time’ – perfumery as a patient art that requires encounters, listening and a deep knowledge of raw materials.
Signature: balance, texture, quiet intensity
Chevallier's compositions appear deliberately composed and architectural: transparency meets warmth, citrus light meets woody or balsamic depth. The result is extraordinary fragrances that are not loud, but develop a lasting, elegant presence on the skin – ideal for lovers of niche fragrance characters who value substance over spectacle. (Style characteristics condensed from work and brand profiles.)
Work and collaborations: from d'Orsay to Gallivant
Her versatility is evident in both recent and established projects: for D'Orsay, she created Songe à la douceur. C.B. – a floral body fragrance with leathery contours. With Gallivant, she created Buenos Aires (2024), an aromatic fougère-inspired city portrait; Alcove (2024) was created for Masque Milano. Previously, she shaped collections for Marcelle Dormoy (including Nacarat, Heliodor, Gemma Veneris) and Maison Rebatchi (Bois d'Enfant). This range – between citrus brightness, velvety woods, musky skin accords and soft leather tones – is typical of her calm, precise dramaturgy.
Attitude: patience, material expertise, market readiness
Chevalier's self-image combines studio art with practice: a fragrance must ‘earn its time’ – to understand the materials, to balance the formulation, to mature. Perhaps it is precisely this patience that explains why her works remain both distinctive and suitable for everyday use: luxurious niche perfumes that are not overly staged, but rather want to be worn.
