Firmenich will open its third Fine Fragrance Atelier in Grasse, France, after Sao Paulo in August 2019 and Shanghai in September 2019.
Dubbed Villa Botanica, the new Atelier will showcase the world’s highest quality natural ingredients. The aim of the venue is to offer Firmenich’s customers and creators a unique opportunity to collaborate, co-create and share perfumery culture, creativity and inspiration.
“We are delighted to open a truly unique facility in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Grasse, further strengthening our leadership in naturals and sustainability. In an intimate and safe setting, we will offer our customers privileged access to our exceptional natural materials from Grasse and around the world and collaborate together to develop winning fragrances for today’s conscious consumers and tomorrow’s trend setters,” said CEO Gilbert Ghostine.
Located on the hill of Peyloubet above Grasse, Villa Botanica, is a 40,000-square-meter site, complete with gardens, creation workshop, and reception area with views of the mountains and sea. In the future, the Mediterranean bastide will feature gardens covered with the prestigious essences of Provence and greenhouses planted with exotic natural ingredients from around the world, from rose Centifolia, mimosa and lavender to vetiver, cinnamon, patchouli or ylang.
“The floral productions from Grasse have no equal in perfumery heritage and are essential to us as composers of fragrance. The Villa Botanica possesses the virtue of tradition and the passion of creative excellence: listening, smelling, creating, innovating and sharing,” highlights Fabrice Pellegrin, Principal Perfumer and Director of Natural Product Innovation at Firmenich.
Villa Botanica will formally open in Spring 2021.
Firmenich’s Center of Excellence in Grasse treats over 80 raw materials from around the world each year to produce more than 800 natural ingredients for its palette. Firmenich is one of the most important producers of exclusive Rose de Mai absolute, harvested locally and extracted in their facilities in Tourettes. The innovation platform in Grasse hosts Master Perfumers on a regular basis to stimulate and elevate the creation of new ingredients.
