The Olfactive

Luca Turin

  • Growing up was scent a large part of your life?

Hard to say. Didn’t feel large, but maybe it was larger than average. I certainly remember perfumes from my childhood, but I guess everyone does.

  • How do you think that smell in general, affects the growth of a child into an adult?

Since we’re talking growth, let me say that smell is mostly about food, and that appetizing food that smells great is going to be much appreciated by kids and they will grow big and strong and become chefs and perfumers.

  • What is your background and how did you begin working within the fragrance world?

I am a scientist who started collecting perfumes and eventually got sucked into studying olfaction as a scientific problem.

  • What are your thoughts on how the fragrance industry is changing?

It could not get worse, so I guess it must be getting better, thanks to haute parfumerie, niche and artisan fragrances.

  • Art and science, do you feel as if there is a connection between the two?

There is a connection between everything and everything else. The art-and-science thing, unfortunately, is mostly shallow visuals and vague concepts.

  • What would be your favorite smell?


  • We read that scent has much to do with attraction, do you believe that scent, smell, or fragrances have a role in love?

None whatsoever: lose your sense of smell, sex is still good, food sucks. QED.

  • At the moment fragrance is a artform, how do you feel about arts in all forms importance in the life of a person.

Hugely important, but less than food, water, blankets, antibiotics, general anesthetics, and painkillers.

  • Where do you see the fragrance world headed in the next five years?

To the bank, while laughing.

  • Finally is there anything else that you would like to say.

If you despair of perfumery, smell Auphorie’s Miyako and tell me all about it.