Seduced by optimism

"It's something I lived with all my life. Growing up - maybe because my father was into fragrance - I wanted to do anything but that," he says.

An art-history student interested in classical music, Polge was considering going to a design school in Paris before he took a summer internship at Chanel Fragrance Laboratory. A few months after immersing in the world of absolutes and essences, Polge realized where his future path was.

"I really fell in love with it. Because it echoes many things I liked. I realized that fragrances are made of those different types of auras. And they are works of farmers. I also like this very down-to-earth aspect.

"It's a very strong message we give when we wear fragrance. But it's totally invisible. You cannot see it. I like the fact that it is strong and weak at the same time."

After training at Charabot in Grasse, he honed his skills at various international companies, creating hits like Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, Balenciaga's Florabotanica and Burberry's The Beat. At the same time, he built a name for himself for the masterful use of leather and patchouli.

In 2013, he succeeded his father as Chanel's new nose. Working with a house that is known for classic fragrances like Chanel No 5 and Coco Mademoiselle, Polge says his challenge now is to create something new rather than redoing the same things, drawing inspiration from everywhere in daily life.

"All forms of art can build up your own sensibility. And we are in a scented world. Scents themselves are also sources of inspiration."

After all, fragrance is part of a person's style, he says.

"Fragrance plays a major role in a person's style. By wearing a fragrance, you tell something about yourself. It makes you feel a certain way. It shows something about your personality in the same way you dress, the way you speak and the tone of your voice."

And how does one discover that right fragrance? The best way, he says, is to test it on your skin.

"A fragrance evolves a little bit as you wear it. The first few minutes are not always the exact scent as it diffuses over the rest of the day. You have to see the interaction of fragrance on your skin and see which one you like."