Sophie Labbé

Sophie is defined by her winning smile and positive energy. She grew up between Paris and Charente-Maritime, her roots a mix of the excitement of the capital and the calm of the countryside’s long rows of grape vines. Sophie has retained her magic of contrasts and the love of the land which she transposes by sublimating a rose from Grasse or a neroli from Tunisia with an unexpected harmony. She enjoys gardening and often compares it with the art of perfumery. “Composing a perfume and working the soil both require patience. These are cultures where a long process of maturation produces a beautiful creation.” she says. Certain encounters were decisive for Sophie, for example, meeting the perfumer Jean Kerléo in1985 He introduced her to a world whose wonders resonated with her own roots and values. Shortly after graduating with a degree in chemistry, Sophie joined perfume school Isipca. She graduated top of her class in 1987, which marked the beginning of her career, during which she spent 5 years at Givaudan, then 27 years at IFF, before joining Firmenich in 2019. Today, Sophie escapes into the pages of Aki Shimazaki novels or imagines herself again on France’s wild coast. Facing the ocean, she breathes the smell of salt on the immortelle bushes. When summer comes, she explores the horizon from a catamaran or travels through Italy. Each trip she takes is an inspiration and the beginning of a new story in perfume.