Patricia de Nicolaï

About Patricia de Nicolaï

Patricia de Nicolaï is a French perfumer and co-founder of NICOLAÏ, the independent house she established in 1989. A granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain and grandniece of Jacques Guerlain, she grew up close to the tradition of French perfumery while developing a career under her own name. Responsibility for ingredients, composition and manufacture gives her a direct role in the character of the finished perfumes.

Career

After studying chemistry, she trained at ISIPCA and gained experience at Florasynth and Quest. Her Number One composition received the French Society of Perfumers’ international award in 1988, before she launched NICOLAÏ with her husband Jean-Louis Michau the following year. In 2008, she became president of the Osmothèque, extending her work into the preservation of historic perfumes as well as contemporary creation.

Creative Style & Philosophy

Her compositions draw on classical perfume structure while finding room for individual themes and unexpected material relationships. Tea and fruit, citrus and patchouli, or pastry sweetness and roasted warmth can each become a distinct study of texture. The house’s independent production and retail model supports a creative practice in which raw-material choices and the balance of a formula can follow her own judgement.

Signature Works

• *Number One* — A floral composition associated with the award that preceded her independent house.
• *New York* — Citrus, aromatic materials and spices form one of the early signatures of NICOLAÏ.