Leonardo Lucheze
A Rio-born perfumer who uses concise formulas and contrasts between materials to translate travel and emotion into scent.
Brazil
About Leonardo Lucheze
Leonardo Lucheze is a perfumer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, working with Takasago’s Paris team. Exploration, travel and the emotions associated with a particular moment inform his work. His interest in fragrance began in childhood, when he won a lavender perfume during Festa Junina, a traditional Brazilian festival, and became fascinated by its scent.
Career
After studying pharmacy in Brazil, Lucheze worked in quality control and research. He moved to France in 2015 to attend perfumery school. In 2020, he extended his pharmaceutical background with specialist aromatherapy study at the Pacific Institute in California. He joined Takasago’s Paris team in 2022, bringing scientific training and a growing knowledge of perfume materials to his creative practice.
Creative Style and Philosophy
Contrasts draw his attention: beaches beside mountains, sea breezes against the dense air of the Amazon, or a quiet forest against Carnival’s bustle. Namibia’s textured dunes, trees and dramatic temperatures have also provided inspiration. Influenced by Jean-Claude Ellena, he favors short formulas that allow an ingredient to stand out, setting qualities such as cardamom’s freshness against nutmeg’s color. Music forms another part of his life; he plays drums and guitar in a rock band and listens to Debussy while creating.
Signature Works
- *Incense of Stars* — A SABON fragrance joining vanilla and cardamom with frankincense and cedar to evoke a star-lit desert.
- *Hinoki Woodland* — A SABON composition interpreting a misty hinoki forest through citrus, elemi, sandalwood and patchouli.
