Laurent Mazzone is the owner of the Première Avenue clothing stores which employ 6 people in Grenoble in Grenoble. For the past fifteen years, he has embarked on his lifelong dream: perfumery. And he is currently releasing his latest addition, “Princess of the Heart”, a perfume sold for the benefit of Fight Aids Monaco, Stéphanie de Monaco’s association for the fight against AIDS. The Grenoble perfumer has entrusted his story to Laurent Gallien.
Laurent Mazzone, we are not in Grasse here, we are in Grenoble. How, a child of Grenoble, do you think about becoming a perfumer?
So we don’t think so. Initially, we imagine it. It’s a passion that I had since I was little. So, as soon as I had the opportunity to be able to launch my perfume line, I did. But it took a long time.
When exactly did you start?
So to tell you the truth, I used to have fun mixing the samples that were lying around at home around 8-10 years old. Afterwards, I was a disc jockey. And then, I created my clothing stores. My first three perfumes were released in 2011.
And immediately, was it a success?
The first perfumes were intended only for my ready-to-wear stores in Grenoble. They were noticed in Paris. I was called, and that’s how the adventure began.
And an adventure that took you far, Middle East, Russia?
Middle East, Russia. We are enjoying great success at the moment, in Italy and Romania, with real perfume enthusiasts. Stories to tell too. Because what is perfume after all? It tells a story. Me, when I create a perfume, I will not question myself by saying that it will appeal to the greatest number. It is often images. Two years ago, we released Infinite Definitive. It was a stroll through Charlie Chaplin’s old house. For Princess of the Heart for the association Fight Aids Monaco, I remembered the perfume she (Stéphanie from Monaco) had made in the 80s. I wanted to recreate these sides of “chypre” scent. What we call “chypre” perfumes are oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum, a little rose, a little iris. And I worked with my “nose” on it for three years.
Today, what volume of perfumes do you sell per year? How many vials?
Quite frankly, I couldn’t even tell you how many vials I sold on my last balance sheet.
Is your business working?
I can live off my passion. I don’t know if we can say that.
It’s an answer!
I can live off my passion. But a perfume house is not that simple. It takes a lot of money. It is not success every time. And when you are in total freedom, when you are self-taught, you do a lot, a lot of stupid things. Life is not that simple. So I make a living from my stores and a little bit of my passion.
–
