Cult perfume brand Le Labo and the chemistry – personal and actual – behind its success
Co-founder decodes the mystique of Le Labo’s fragrances, the philosophy behind its range of vegan scents, and plans to keep the brand distinctive now it is part of Estée Lauder empire
As co-founder of niche perfumery Le Labo, Eddie Roschi knows what it takes to create a hit. Since the brand was founded in 2006, he has masterminded cult fragrances together with his business partner Fabrice Penot, including the brand’s bestselling Rose 31, Jasmin 17 and Santal 33 perfumes.
Despite this, he acknowledges that there is one scent that he may never be able to bottle.
“In fairness it’s not my idea, but have you read the novel Perfume by Patrick Suskind?” he asks while sitting in the middle of Le Labo’s boutique in Star Street, in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district.
“His book is about a psychopath that kills beautiful women and peels the skin off their bodies. He then distils it down to create this scent that makes people go crazy and start eating each other. I love the idea of a fragrance that is extremely sensorial. It’s like the smell of the person you love – it drives you crazy,” he says.
Although Roschi hails from a corporate background, his approach to his craft is far from conventional. After studying chemistry, he began his career at fragrance development company Firmenich, before joining beauty behemoth L’Oreal. While working on Giorgio Armani perfumes, he met Penot, and the duo eventually decided to launch their own brand.
