It was my recent privilege to spend time with Anne -Cécile Pounat at the new home of L’Osmothèque in the historic centre of Versailles. She is an exceptional woman at the helm of one of the most important institutions in the world of Perfumery. Erudite and eloquent, she speaks from a passion and a determination to preserve and continue to give cultural and historical value to its mission.

Her story gives merit to her continuing journey as the Directrice of L’Osmothèque. My first question was how she found herself in this position and in fact as far as interviews go, there was no need to pose further formal questions as the flow of conversation was completely natural and the time flew.

‘It’s a simple path, a convergence of life’s opportunities, from a young age, however there were many small signs that showed I loved perfume. A few examples stand out to me: at around 12 years old my parents gave me money to buy a snack at a charity sale, instead I bought two empty perfume bottles, Lubin, in Toile de Jouy fabric. The second memory, my parents sent me to a friend's perfume shop to help me choose my vocation. I spent that day in a fascinating world, not because of the perfume itself but because of the atmosphere it created. The elegant women who had a trail of perfume around them, the atmosphere that surrounded them made an enormous impression on me. Another important anecdote to relate is, I was in middle school and the perfume Poison came out, this little black apple bottle drew my attention but the perfume was quite strong for a young girl so I placed it behind my knees and discovered that Coco Chanel had said ‘Always place perfume where you would like to be kissed’. Perfume truly gets under your skin, it’s a bit like a virus, once you’ve got it, it spreads and you can’t get rid of it.

After I finished my schooling, I went on to study luxury goods and luxury business management and quite by chance found myself with Thierry de Baschmakoff at the Agence Historique de Baschmakoff et Aesthete, specializing in perfume bottles. I thought the work surrounding Perfume bottle manufacture was beautiful and had the good fortune to work with many of the luxury jewelers in Place Vendome. It was a very creative time.

After many years it was time to create a family so I stepped aside but whilst my children were small and utilizing my contacts, I created a small agency, Pandora’s Box, which existed for around 10 years and allowed me to continue working, mainly in cosmetics and spas but never far from perfumery. It was at this moment that I applied for the advertised position of Project Manager at the L’Osmotheque. I, of course, knew of its existence before, back with Agence Aesthete we had been involved in sponsoring the class of 2000. I recall thinking that the existence of L’Osmothèque was a wonderful project, initially I had not intended to stay for long, thinking that I would try to tidy things up a bit, but actually I very quickly became completely passionate about this project. At that point I was the only employee of the organization and literally had to turn my hand to everything. I began to understand that L’Osmotheque deserved better than where it was, that here was a possibility to give merit and value to the historical thread that still runs through modern perfumery today, that it was a pioneering idea, absolutely fundamental to perfumery, but that it had aged a little with its creators and had so much more scope for development to keep it a living entity, dynamic and evolving.

I began to envision a future for the Osmothèque and spoke with Patricia de Nicolai, the then President. ‘We need to give this structure a lot more resources so that it can take the place it should have taken in its 30 years of existence.’ Together we saw that another Osmothèque was possible, and we began to dream bigger. At that time, we were attached to the school of ISIPCA in Versailles and felt it was time to have some independence. Of course we are still involved with the school, but we dreamed of our own building dedicated to our work of preservation, education and research. Patricia began to open up to the administrative committee that our own place was necessary. Originally it was thought that we might relocate to Paris, but after analyzing the situation we decided to place ourselves in Versailles, the Royal Capital, a place where fashions, styles and trends were made and broken over time. Our major support here in Versailles is the current mayor, M Francois de Mazieres, who understands our vision and is helping us to find a location within his city that not only sees large numbers of tourists but also visiting professionals. Our recent move and refurbishment to this historic location will enable the Osmothèque to continue to grow and evolve. It’s an important step to be an autonomous institution.

Before this grand gesture, I imagined I might be at the Osmothèque for 4, maybe 5 years but this has swiftly already turned into 10. Under my initial role of Project Manager I created a lot more streams of revenue, which were urgently required for growth, events, in house conference and online events, however we are and always have been a non-profit organization. After being at the helm for 12 years and bringing her passion and commitment tirelessly Patricia de Nicolai retired and a new President M Thomas Fontaine was appointed. We now have 2 members working full time for the Osmothèque and seeing my commitment and passion it was decided to create a new post and rename my position as Directrice. We are a small, tight knit team, of 2 employees and many volunteers who freely give of their time and expertise for this endeavor. Looking forward there is an urgent need for us to grow as a team and to have dedicated staff for several crucial areas.

Having now installed ourselves in (our new location in) Versailles, moved all our archives, precious bottles of formulations and raw materials my focus is clearly on the future with in house exhibitions, conferences and defined objectives to be achieved. It is my wish that many other large perfume houses and businesses decide to offer some support to the Osmothèque as there is a debt of history and cultural significance owed to the past. Acknowledgement of that by modern day perfume houses is paramount. Chanel is one such supporter, unconditionally assisting us in our development without strings attached, conscious of their own history. I dream one day, of all the great perfume houses behind the Osmothèque as it is the one place that can unite, perhaps the one independent project where the entire industry can gather and meet. My wish is also to bring awareness to the greater public. I have witnessed 100% of the time, even the most hardened anti -perfume visitor leave after spending time here having found something in our archive that touched them, some perfume or smell that evoked a memory however distant, this is the power of perfume. Perfume has the ability to touch every single person in a unique way, professionally, emotionally and personally.

We are cultivating international relationships with other countries, because we are an International Conservatory. There are areas of culture where we would like to add to our collection, fostering this cooperation between countries. We already have links with Italy, Spain, Brazil, Japan and China. More connection is really a key phrase right now for us.

One of my main aims in the immediate future, in an industry that is right now inundated with new brands and new releases, is to cultivate an appreciation within the Ministry of Culture and the museum community here in France and worldwide of perfume as a high artistic endeavor, that it is a complete package. Often in exhibitions we see many beautiful examples of bottles, packaging and advertisements from the past but are unable to smell the perfumes they once held. The whole ensemble is a work of art and should be presented and appreciated as such, this is high on my agenda along with ensuring that we have the resources we require to grow.

I wish the Osmothèque to be an open place, a crossroads, a place of passage, accessible to all and to remain true to our DNA which is that we are a resource for professionals, for whom we are the memory and a resource for the general public for whom we are also the memory and a window to the past. Today we are the Custodians especially for the entire period of the beginnings of modern perfumery. We have been interested in it since the time of my predecessors almost 40 years ago. They built this collection unsupported by the industry or the perfume houses, out of pure passion to preserve heritage and legacy. Modern day Perfumery is fast paced and not, with a few exceptions, a profession that looks to its past, its history or its heritage. Today, perhaps because there is a sense of coming full circle, because it is fashionable to take an interest in History, history is noble, I have hope that more perfume houses and brands will realise our importance.

Here, of course there is a focus on French Perfumery, we could say European, but it is still French brands who have led the way in modern perfumery and I think that there are whole sectors of the French industry that can benefit from remaining the beacon that illuminates the world of Perfumery. I often see the Osmothèque as a beacon, a lighthouse in the middle of the storm, the religious edifice in the center of the village, leading the way forward.

My thanks to Anne-Cécile for sharing her life, her history and her particular visions and hopes for the valued institution she carries into the future.

Membership of the Osmothèque is open to all

8 rue Saint-Simon, Versailles

https://www.osmotheque.fr/

A NOTE FROM OUR PUBLISHER, SILVIO LEVI

This candid interview of Anne-Cécile by Danu shows yet again Essencional’s dedication to L’Osmothèque, a priceless institution of paramount importance. I would like to emphasize two points:

1. I always remember that for most successful brands, best sellers have often been part of the portfolio for at least ten if not a hundred years, and there are very few recent launches that have been able to undermine their positioning. Therefore, it is essential for both perfumers and the public to know these masterpieces.

2. It is correct that while French perfumery has dominated, with globalization and the ever increasing use of perfume, many other cultures and continents are entering the market. Soon we will have to be more familiar with creative proposals coming from the Far East, Africa, Australia, South America and which are all narratives of the evolution of the social history of mankind that L’Osmotheque will be able to represent at its best.

Long live L’Osmothèque and a heartfelt thank you to Anne-Cécile for what she has been able to give us all over these past 10 years!

Silvio Levi

For further reading may we suggest:

Inside the World Perfume Vault where l’Osmothèque keeps alive our perfume heritage.

Inside the World Perfume Vault where l’Osmothèque keeps alive our perfume heritage.

The Osmothèque – Patricia de Nicolaï, perfumer and former president of the Osmothèque

https://mag.bynez.com/en/interviews/the-osmotheque-patricia-de-nicolai-osmotheque/

Osmothèque 2022: A Private Visit With President Thomas Fontaine and Delegated Director Anne-Cécile Pouant

https://cafleurebon.com/osmotheque-2022/