Céline Verleure founded niche perfume brand Olfactive Studio in 2011 and is about to launch her fifth fragrance, Flash Back. A collaboration between photography and fragrance, each perfume begins with a photograph chosen by Verleure, from which an individual perfumer has free rein to create a fragrance based on the emotions raised by the image. Verleure formerly worked at Kenzo and was the founder of Osmoz. She is now the sole owner of Olfactive Studio.
What opportunities do you see for your brand in 2013?We envisage strong progression, both in our existing markets and fresh new ones, such as the US, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. Although we started in a recession, I’ve made double the turnover I expected and sold out of two of my perfumes several times.
Do you think the recession is over?There isn’t recession everywhere in the world. You have to think globally because a lot of markets have little access to niche brands and are only really familiar with large brands.