Nicolas Mamounas
The Rochas perfumer from 1970 to 1987, combining clear citrus, flowers and woods.
About Nicolas Mamounas
Nicolas Mamounas was the perfumer at Rochas from 1970 to 1987. His compositions accompanied different chapters of the house’s perfume history.
Career
During Hélène Rochas’s leadership, Mamounas followed Guy Robert as a perfumer for the house. His citrus composition introduced in 1970 revisited an idea developed by Marcel Rochas in the 1930s for Eau de Roche. Mamounas gave that earlier concept a new expression through modern materials and composition. Over approximately seventeen years, he created several fragrances for Rochas.
Creative Style and Inspiration
For his best-known citrus composition, the Castalian spring at Delphi provided an imaginative starting point connected with his Greek roots. The fragrance translates clear water into the brightness of citrus and the lighter movement of flowers. A generous use of Hedione helps shape its floral character, while jasmine and rose meet deeper sandalwood and patchouli. This particular work shows how he supported an impression of freshness with a more substantial floral and woody structure, rather than relying on citrus alone.
Signature Works
- *Eau de Rochas* — Launched in 1970, a Rochas signature combining citrus, flowers and woods.
- *Byzance* — The original fragrance introduced in 1987. This attribution refers to that earlier creation and does not transfer to the different perfume launched under the same name in 2019.
