IN CONVERSATION WITH DAPHNE BUGEY: THE MANOEUVRES OF THE BARONESS

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PATH INTO PERFUMERY AND WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO THE CRAFT?

It’s a passion that goes back to childhood. From the age of ten, I collected miniature perfume samples. I began memorising and classifying fragrances, laying the foundations of my perfume culture. Later, I naturally pursued studies at Institut Supérieur International du Parfum (ISIPCA), the perfumery school in Versailles, after studying chemistry. I started my career at DSM-Firmenich and have remained with this fragrance house ever since. I have worked in Geneva, Princeton, and Paris before settling in Lisbon.

WHICH RAW MATERIALS DO YOU MOST ENJOY WORKING WITH AND WHY?

All raw materials are interesting to work with, especially since they often present different olfactory profiles depending on their origin or extraction methods. It’s part of my job to memorise their characteristics and rediscover them from new angles, considering what they can bring to a composition.

Personally, I enjoy woody notes, citrus, and flowers - particularly orange blossom - as well as sensual notes like ambrox, and vanilla for its addictive quality. As I talk about it, I realize that several of these materials are part of the composition of The Baroness…

WHAT WAS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IN DEVELOPING THE MANOEUVRES OF THE BARONESS? WERE THERE ANY INGREDIENTS YOU WERE PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO WHEN BRINGING THIS CHARACTER TO LIFE?

I greatly enjoyed returning to this Penhaligon’s collection, for which I had already created three Portraits when it launched in 2016. I love this British spirit, bordering on provocation, this microcosm where intrigue and manoeuvres are concealed beneath the codes of high society. It is within this world that the figure of this Baroness emerges, endowed with striking intelligence and elegance, a true strategist operating from the shadows.

The fragrance opens with sparkling and mysterious top notes adorned with a radiant orange blossom, then reveals a creamy Chantilly heart before stretching into the sophisticated warmth of sandalwood.

WAS THERE A SPECIFIC MUSE, PERSONALITY, OR IMAGE THAT GUIDED YOU DURING COMPOSITION?

Many associations came to me spontaneously around the word Chantilly: the Château de Chantilly, but also French gastronomy and the texture of Chantilly lace, highly inspiring in its delicacy. I selected ingredients capable of expressing all these sensations. In the background, this image of Chantilly persists, attractive, delicate, and sophisticated; much like the Baroness herself, whose apparent charm conceals a far more subtle construction.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE A STRONG NARRATIVE CONCEPT WITH WEARABILITY?

At the start of a project, it’s necessary to explore rather extreme creative directions in order to assert the strength of a narrative concept. That’s how I approached shaping a true identity for this fragrance. In the second phase, the development may involve subtly refining the formula so that it is not too polarising. It all depends on the olfactory signature within the collection.

WHAT EMOTION OR ATMOSPHERE DOES THE MANOEUVRES OF THE BARONESS EVOKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY?

What I love about this Baroness character is her ability to constantly reinvent herself. She embodies a very contemporary form of freedom and power: a confident, inspiring woman who writes her own rules with style and assurance. She is a powerful woman in constant motion, who attracts and inspires through her elegance and her elusive nature.

IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE THE BARONESS IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

Elegant. Seductive. Influential.

DID YOU INCORPORATE ANY UNEXPECTED OR UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS IN THIS CREATION?

Yes. I placed at the heart of the composition an ingredient that is both gourmand and airy, a Chantilly note. It delicately recreates the taste qualities of a Chantilly vanilla whipped cream. The note is an innovative ingredient that I highlighted among other nuances, such as orange blossom, often associated with the softness of certain desserts.

ARE THERE ANY INGREDIENTS YOU'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY INSPIRED BY RECENTLY?

Together with other perfumers from the house, we recently traveled across Italy, exploring its scents, flavors, and natural treasures for perfumery. The essence of Italian mandarin, cold-pressed from the peel, struck me with its sparkling, fresh, and luminous character. I incorporated this into the composition.

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF NICHE LUXURY PERFUMERY IN 2026, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL IT IS OPENING UP NEW CREATIVE POSSIBILITES FOR PERFUMERS?

Niche perfumery is open to all inspirations and influences. It pushes the perfume industry forward, constantly expanding its boundaries. It offers a space of freedom to perfumers, as well as to the consumers who increasingly embrace it. This segment trusts the creators’ instincts, and its projects are among the most exciting!

Boundaries are gradually fading in territories that were once seldom explored in niche perfumery, such as gourmand scents, which are now gaining new legitimacy. This evolution opens a completely new olfactory landscape, where refined gourmand notes are reinvented in more sophisticated, nuanced, and unexpected forms.