Sniffapalooza Magazine Interview with Jessica Dunne of Ellie D and Ellie Nuit Perfumes
by Raphaella
Available at Henri Bendel at Sniffaplooza Fall Ball. Read in-depth article in New York Times in link below.
Meet Jessica Dunne Saturday at Henri Bendel
Jessica, Can you tell us about yourself and your fragrances and a bit about your background leading up to your career in perfumery??
Where do I begin! I studied Psychology with a concentration in Neuro-science at Haverford College, and after graduating, decided to forgo a research job for the excitement of a trading floor at an investment bank. It was a wonderful learning experience, and helped me hone my skills in multi-tasking and tested my ability to stay calm in the midst of chaos. After two years at the bank, I decided to pursue another life-long interest, and got an MLA in art history at The University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, I moved back to New York, worked at Christie’s briefly before getting a job at a Manhattan art gallery. I worked at the gallery happily for four years, but I had always yearned to do something creative on my own, and decided to take the first step in that direction. My love of perfume began in childhood, but I had no idea how to turn my passion into a business. I reached out to Michel Roudnitska, and we started discussing the possibility of a collaboration.
Tell us about the fragrances you’ve created. There must have been a defining moment that led you to produce these two beautiful fragrances.
It was difficult to make the decision to throw myself into the creation of the scent, and the work that comes along with it: finding the right bottle, designing bottle decoration, packaging, samples, and labels, and finding the right people to help me accomplish all of it. Another issue I faced as a small company with small quantities, was that many of the big companies had minimum orders for bottles and vials that would not accommodate me.
The defining moment for me occurred after I visited Michel-- when I felt that he understood my vision, and agreed to help me create the fragrance. I knew the commitments involved – both of time and money, but I had a strong sense that if I didn’t take the leap, I would always regret it. I knew what I wanted, but it was challenging to express myself, since I did not have a background in perfumery. It was truly like learning another language.
Despite all of the energy I was devoting to the development of the fragrance, it would have been safer for me to continue with my day job. I probably would have continued doing that, but for a few unexpected and exciting changes in my life. My husband accepted a job that would move us from New York to London, and in the same month I found out that I was pregnant. I decided that these life-changing adventures were a sign that I needed to commit myself wholeheartedly to the creation of the perfume, without the safety net of a day job. It felt like the perfect moment to take a risk.
Ellie was created in honor of your grandmother and you commissioned Michael Roudnitska, son of Edmond Roudnitska - creator for the Parfums Delrae fragrances, Noir Epices for Frederic Malle, Eau Savage for Dior and many other beautiful fragrances…what led you to go to France, to work with master perfumer Michel Roudnitska? That must have been an amazing journey! How did this come about?
It was an incredible journey! I found Michel’s website and wrote him an introductory email, not knowing whether he would respond. After receiving his first email, we continued to exchange emails, and then phone calls, before finally deciding that we needed to meet to be sure we could work together. I flew to France during a week-long break from the gallery, and met Michel at his laboratory in Cabris.
After meeting Michel, I felt even more strongly about the collaboration. I loved the fact that he was working on the grounds of his home in the office his father had used, carrying on the family legacy. We talked and searched for inspiration as we walked through his lovely gardens forged into the hills, and stood out on the balcony in his office that overlooks the gardens and the Cote d’Azur. There was something very magical about it.
I heard that your grandmother loved to find obscure fragrances on her travels. Tell us about your memories.
My grandmother passed away in 1999, and was ailing for several years beforehand. My best memories of her are from a time in her life when she was healthy and active. When creating the scents, I drew from those wonderful early memories, from flashbulb recollections of her lovely perfume bottles and the scent of her perfume when she would give me a hug. I have beautiful black and white pictures of her from her teenage years, and a number of images of her with my grandfather at an elegant dinner with friends. I drew upon my wonderful memories, along with my montage of the glamorous photos of her youth for inspiration.
You also said earlier in Sniffapalooza Magazine that your "early memories of perfume worn by the important women in my life fueled my desire to delve into unfamiliar territory armed only with my passion for fragrance. I knew that perfumers were artists, and have always respected their incredible skill." Tell us what you mean by “unfamiliar territory”, obviously you must think differently about the industry today as opposed to two years ago, yes?
I started the business with my passion and enthusiasm, and no experience in the perfume industry, so every step was a learning experience. Michel warned me about the challenges that I would face, but I felt so strongly about my vision that I didn’t let it scare me. There were moments when I felt overcome by the obstacles, and frustrated by encounters with people in the industry, and at times I felt my energy wane. I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps and push ahead. That said, I had an inspiring experience with Michel, and have formed close relationships with many of the retailers that carry the perfume.
What differentiates your fragrance from other fragrance lines on the market, well other than the amazing feat that Michael Roudnitska created it?
I have always loved going on perfume expeditions – smelling as many scents as possible, and looking for fragrances that are not on every department store shelf. For me, my scents capture a nostalgia and a longing for a snapshot in time when all was well in my world. My mother was getting dressed for a night out with my dad, and she was the image of perfection for me – down to the finishing touch – a drop of perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. My grandmother’s embrace, the smell of her perfume, mingled with the soft, powdery smell of her makeup. I think my perfumes are classics that I will still love in 20 years because they are without gimmick or pretense. Whether it strikes a chord with anyone else is out of my control, but the only thing that I can be certain of is how much love and energy that I poured into every aspect of the fragrance creation.
What was the vision for your latest fragrance, Ellie Nuit?
I find that I may be in the mood for a soft scent in the morning and before heading out for a date night with my husband, I feel like something a little darker. Prior to creating Ellie and Ellie Nuit, I have had some bad experiences when mixing scents have driven me into the shower in an effort to eliminate all traces of my experiment. I wanted to create something that tempered the softness of Ellie, but that made its own, distinct impression-- with the idea that the two scents can be worn together without the worry of a clash.
For me, Ellie captures the soft, ephemeral vision of my childhood in an elegant, demure way. It’s a dress and white gloves. Ellie Nuit is the perfect little black dress. It shares Ellie’s elegance, but adds a warm, sensual woodiness.
What was your favorite fragrance growing up?
I had a number of favorites (some embarrassing) throughout my childhood. As a teen, I wore White Musk and Anais Anais, and their scents are still firmly entrenched in my memory. They were very popular amongst my friends, and if I ever catch a whiff of either in the air, I am immediately transported back to my school days. Other fragrances were gifted into my life, and then managed to have staying power - mostly for sentimental reasons. My closest childhood friend bought Amarige for me, and that became my signature scent for many years.
Even though I never wore it, I have a soft spot for Magie Noire. I bought it for my grandmother every year for Christmas, so that will always be a sentimental favorite. Looking back, I don’t know if she ever told me that she liked it, or just wore it to be polite. Either way, somewhere along the line, I decided that it was my signature gift! Other favorites that I didn’t wear buy loved smelling on my mother and grandmother due to their emotional pull, are Shalimar, Chanel no. 5, and Joy.
Michael Roudnitska
ELLlE Review
By Patty Geissler
Once in a while a perfume comes across your nose that captivates you for reasons that
you can’t express in a meaningful, concrete way, like this note did that, and this one did this,
because it is hitting an emotional chord that defies description - like smelling the cologne
your first major love wore when you haven’t smelled it in years. Jessica Dunne
commissioned Michael Roudnitska, son of Edmond Roudnitska - creator for the
Parfums Delrae fragrances, Noir Epices for Frederic Malle, Eau Savage for Dior, etc., -
to create Ellie in honor of her grandmother.
Notes of bergamot, tangerine and cyclamen in the top, a heart of lily of the valley, jasmine,
gardenia, rose and fig leaves, and base notes of vetiver, sandalwood, musk, vanilla and coconut.
I am a total green note ‘ho, adored the Gobin Daude Sous le Buis and Seve Exquise,
but usually Lily of the Valley leaves me cold, along with coconut and vanilla, so my
approach on this perfume was with trepidation – we would either be sworn enemies or BFF.
This opens smooth, velvety, earthy green. It is the smell of spring in the garden, when
you are elbow deep in dirt, stems, twigs and new flowers that are blooming, but not hit the
peak of the bloom, just have that slightly green flower smell. The vanilla and coconut keep the
green and earthy components elegantly smoothed out as it dries down, but it is not a sweet
perfume, nor is the green bitter. It is perfectly balanced perfection. I’ll try and not add all the
other things I’m thinking, like genius, masterpiece, I want to marry Michael Roudnitska so
he will make a perfume this beautiful with my name on it (sorry, sweetie, we’ll have to work
out the bigamy thing – those people on that HBO series did!).
Available only at Heni Bendel’s at this time for $185 for ½ ounce. Yeah, I know, I know!
But it is totally worth it, and I have a plan. They have a website, and we have already started
the Make This Into an EDP Campaign, which you can join. Just hit the Contact Us button on the www.elliedperfume.com website and let the absolutely kind owner know how much we need this in an EDP so more people can love it as it deserves to be loved.
Editors Note: I have had the opportunity of hearing from the perfumer, Jessica Dunne, regarding her new perfume. We will be conducting an interview next week. She told me that she was thrilled to find Sniffapalooza Magazine, and that she loved reading my piece on my grandmother's flower fields. (Coeur de Fleur)
"I completely identify with your incredibly vivid memories of how 'simple and perfect' life felt while surrounded by the fragrance of her flowers. I too was inspired by my grandmother, Eleanor, to pursue my passion for perfume, and named my first perfume, Ellie, after her. It has just hit the shelves, and is carried exclusively at Henri Bendel in New York. Creating the scent was truly a labor of love – a process that took almost two years. My grandmother loved to find obscure fragrances on her travels. I have incredible memories of how graceful and elegant she was, and how fabulous she always looked and smelled. I endeavored to create a scent that was reminiscent of my favorite memories of her from childhood, yet infused with a modern and fresh sensibility."
She goes on to state that “She felt strongly about creating a luxurious product rooted in the time-honored art of perfumery, not something created in a laboratory. I went to Grasse, France, the heart of traditional perfumery, and worked one-on-one with master perfumer Michel Roudnitska. What evolved over the course of our collaboration is a scent that is fresh, clean, and ladylike, and created in small batches to maintain quality and authenticity. I worked just as hard to make the bottle design and the packaging a reflection of the personal nature of the scent. I wanted the bottle to have a classic feel reminiscent of the beautiful bottles that I remember seeing on my grandmother's dressing table. Each box is put together by hand and is meant to feel like a special, hand-wrapped gift."
"My early memories of perfume worn by the important women in my life fueled my desire to delve into unfamiliar territory armed only with my passion for fragrance. I knew that perfumers were artists, and have always respected their incredible skill."
I cannot wait to hit Henri Bendel's in NYC; I am personally enthralled and inspired by Patti Geissler's great review and after my contact with the lovely Jessica Dunne. Thank you Patty & Jessica! - RB
What was the most unexpected element of your journey into perfumery?
I remember telling the first blogger that was going to review Ellie that I felt like I was putting my child in a beauty competition. I had worked so hard for so long, and poured myself into every detail along the way, so I felt very vulnerable when it was time to launch it into the world. Somehow I had pushed aside the fact that once Ellie was on the shelves, it was no longer my ‘baby’. I felt overwhelmed and exposed, and was barely able to read anything written about the scent for weeks. Although I have had my share of frustrating experiences and moments of disillusionment, I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I have received from other entrepreneurs, from perfume lovers who have adopted the scents, from bloggers and from Sniffapalooza. I have a new appreciation for anyone who takes a risk and has a hand in creating something…whether it’s a book, a piece of artwork or a fragrance. It’s easy to stick with what’s comfortable and routine, so I admire anyone who strikes out on their own.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you or your perfumes that we have not discussed?
I was pregnant during much of Ellie’s development. I met with Claudia Lucas at Bendel’s when my daughter, Laine, was two months old. We were in town from London (where I was living at the time), terribly jetlagged, and I was up feeding the baby off and on all night. My daughter would not feed before my interview with Bendel’s, so I literally had to finish getting dressed and putting my make up on in the taxi. I pulled myself together in the lobby, and I don’t think she noticed my exhaustion or the fact that I had to put my make up on in the taxi without a mirror. I felt that all of the odds were against me from the start, so I had nothing to lose. I could not have had a more stressful lead-up to the most important business meeting of my new career! Succeeding when I felt like I was set up for failure was a wonderful and invigorating experience.
Where are your fragrances available?
In the U.S., at Henri Bendel, Studio at Fred Segal, luckyscent.com, lusciouscargo.com, and June Blaker
