Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day

For International Women’s Day, the SIPC gives the floor to one of our female pioneers, Patricia de Nicolaï:

“Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day.

During the last thirty years, in Western societies, the evolution of women’s role within professional sectors, has grown exponentially.

The Fragrance Industry is just the right example.

Within the SIPC, the gender distribution of our members is nearly perfect. This should please our government concerned about the application of their law!

During the first part of the 20th century, there have been some female pioneers like, Madam de Laire, Germaine Cellier, Jacqueline Fraysse, but they were the exception. It took a while for women to be allowed into Creation laboratories.

At Guerlain, there was a lineage of 5 generations of male perfumers; and in the sixth generation, in the beginning of the 80’s, I was a young graduate from the ISIPCA, and I intended to join the family business but the highest authority of the house business said no…

Since then, thankfully times have changed, women are part of the major fragrance companies and some have signed outstanding creations. Some others have created their own company. It was my case and I have no regret.

It is indisputable that men and women don’t smell everything the same way. A simple example that I noticed: the Ionones are better identified by men noses, whilst musky molecules have no secret for women.

We need to cultivate our differences because, in my opinion, this creative complementarity between men and women is beneficial and is a great progress in the evolution of our beautiful profession”.