That interview was was impromptu and unplanned. It was full of art, passion and nostalgia. I was browsing Instagram and found Karine online, so I thought of a set of questions that I asked her, and because I know that Karine enjoys daring through her perfumes that reflect that side of her personality, I asked her a fifth question, which is bold, Karine took In time to answer those questions, let’s get acquainted with one of the most important future perfumers, Karine Vinchon Spehner.
1. Where do you get your inspiration and creativity in the perfume industry from?
To stimulate my creativity, I remain very curious about everything around me. I like to go to museums (so you can imagine how enriching Paris is from this point of view), to concerts (for me, music is very inspiring and I’m very sensitive to it), to theatre, discussions with friends (I’m surrounded by funny, clever and sensitive friends and an interesting subject of discussion can turn into a fantastic idea of creation). I like to sew (a fabric tissue, a texture, colours or assembly can inspire me) and to paint (again, I like to explore different techniques, to use different tools like pencils, knife, fingers, chalks, brushes, collage, charcoal, inks…). I also like to sing and playing ukulele to relax. Music has a particular place in my life. I’m very sensitive to its effects. I can have goosebumps, recover energy, be sad, be happy, find inspiration (I work while listening to music).
2. What do you aspire to in the future in the perfume industry?
After the pandemic, we’re so happy to share afresh to exchange with each other, that I would enjoy seeing more widely perfumes on the market, coming from a real partnership between all the creative team (brand, designer, perfumer, creative director, evaluator, communication, marketing) from the first idea to the final product. And moreover more interactions between different artistic fields. Elsa Schiapparelli was very good at connecting artists. She was inspired and of course inspired in return by Jean Carles, Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, Albert Lesage and Man Ray. I’m a bit nostalgic of this time.
3. Tell us about the person who affected you in the world of perfumes and is considered an example for you when making any perfume?
After my studies in ISIPCA, the Master Perfumer Michel Almairac was looking for a new assistant. How blessed I was to be in the right place at the right time! When I had my first interview which him, I remember that I was so impresseed that I bumped into his desk by enterring in his office! During one year and a half (September 2004 – April 2006), we smelled all his creations together. I don’t know if you can figure out what is it for a young girl who aspire to become perfumer to be trained by Michel and to discover, to understand each day a new masterpiece?! It’s like if someone wanted to become a painter and whould have the chance to be trained by Pablo Picasso! I learned so much! And I continue today to smell sometimes with him. I love his vision.
He always knows when a raw material has to be removed from the formula to permit to the scent to take volume to respire! I try to work on short formulas as he learned to me, where every raw material has a essential place in the perfume.
4. How did the Middle East affect your aromatic thought?
Travels are a very important source of inspiration for me. The middle east has a particular place in my heart because of so many qualities! I love the contrasts between all his landscapes: deserts, building, trees, sea, rocks (in Dubai or Oman). I like to inspire myself about images that I keep in mind when I come back in France. And I appreciate the love that Middle East people have for perfumes. Wear perfume is like a ritual for them. They are connoisseurs and they are not afraid to taste new tendances. We have many things to learn to each other. I recently created an attar “Santal Sohar” for Amouage and I love the gesture and the sensation to apply the perfume on my wrists. Working for this market pushes me also to research new forms of power.
5. You are one of the few who worked with Amouage in two different periods. What distinguishes your period of work with Mr. Renaud Salmon and Christopher Chong?
Yes, it’s a long love story between Amouage and me! When I met Christopher Chong, he was just joining Amouage company and I was beginning as a junior perfumer (I thanks again Robertet to give the chance to young perfumers to work with prestigious compagnies). Christopher used to say that I grew up with Amouage and it’s partly true. Working for a niche brand is challenging. We can really express our commun vision between the artistic director and us. The first compositon that we have created together was Memoir Man (2010). Today I still love so much our work. We worked for 10 years together and I think that at the end, we known more easily which olfactive direction we wanted to give to a perfume to tell the story we wanted to describe.
I met Renaud Salmon in 2020 (firstly by video during the pandemic). We started our work together with Boundless (2021). I appreciate particularly the fact that Renaud exchanges a lot with all the creative team: perfumers, designers, communication team, music composers, perfume historians. We inspire each other. And I’m fascinated by his new vision of the perfumery and all his very stimulating ideas that he has for the future. The commun point is the DNA of Amouage that I love so much, and the people’s passion that I have the chance to work with.
In the end, thank you Karine for giving us the opportunity to get to know you more, and we wish you good luck in your new aromatic creations.
