Azzi Glasser has revolutionised the fragrance industry with her innovative approach, crafting unique scents that tell exciting stories. Her work at The Perfumer’s Story with high-profile clients and renowned fashion houses highlights her talent for creating memorable, personalised fragrances that are featured on platforms like Liberty London.
hube: Your journey in the fragrance industry has been marked by innovation and rebellion against tradition. What motivated you to challenge the status quo, and how has this mindset shaped your approach to perfumery?
Azzi Glasser: Having entered the perfume industry in the early 90s, over 30 years ago, I was shocked to learn how it was driven by marketing teams rather than creativity and perfumers. The marketing departments would dictate the trends for the perfumers to follow. It all seemed quite backwards to me. Having just gone through the 80s trend of perfumes that were powerful and walked through the door before you did, such as Poison, Giorgio, Obsession, etc., to the new 90s trend of light, watery and bland, where the concept was also colourless with beige and pale being the main themeы with launches such as CK1 and Issey Miyake – everywhere! – and they didn’t last on the skin, but with a price point that was luxury, of course.
The raison d’être had disappeared. I took a gamble with my first launch of Agent Provocateur’s debut signature perfume. I wanted to create a perfume that didn’t follow trends but personified the concept of the brand. In this case – feminine, sensual, powerful and full of confidence. I brought back the Chypre in a modern edgy direction in perfume, where not only was the perfume powerful and made a statement but left a sophisticated, rich aroma wherever it went. I wanted heads to turn and notice the provocative power that perfume holds. Launched in 2000, it won countless awards, went straight to No.1 in sales and then launched in 60 countries, a great start for the millennium.
h: As a Creative Director at a remarkably young age and later as a co-founder of successful fragrance brands like Agent Provocateur and Bella Freud, what were some of the most valuable lessons you learned early in your career?
AG: The most valuable lesson I learnt was to understand that everyone wants to be successful, so if you believe you have a way of executing that, even if it is not part of the system or adhering to the so-called rules, then break those boundaries and do it. If you are successful, you make others successful, too. Therefore, the rules are forgotten and the journey begins. The story is told and celebrated.