Olivier Gillotin

Olivier Gillotin is a French perfumer of great talent, who today holds the prestigious post of Vice President Perfumer at the Givaudan composition house in the United States. Born in Brittany, he first studied biology before discovering his true calling for the world of scent, which led him to the celebrated Givaudan perfumery school. Known for an approach that is at once highly technical and deeply elegant, he excels in the art of balancing rich, warm raw materials, often giving his compositions a timeless sophistication and a strongly textured signature.

Though he has signed a great many successes for global designer brands, such as the avant-garde Higher for Dior, Polo Red for Ralph Lauren and work for Ermenegildo Zegna, it is unquestionably in exclusive perfumery that he has most strongly marked the minds of connoisseurs. His absolute masterpiece remains the essential Tobacco Vanille, created for Tom Ford's luxurious Private Blend collection. That opulent scent has become a true pillar of modern niche perfumery, single-handedly redefining the category of gourmand tobacco fragrances. His ability to move between large-scale commercial launches and sharply focused niche creations makes him a major figure of the contemporary olfactory industry.