Steve Guo
A Beijing-raised perfumer trained in chemistry and perfumery in France, drawing inspiration from Chinese poetry, painting and landscapes.
China
About Steve Guo
Steve Guo, also known as Siliang Guo, is a Chinese perfumer raised in Beijing and trained in France. He works at dsm-firmenich’s Shanghai Fine Fragrance Atelier, drawing on childhood scent memories as well as poetry, painting and natural landscapes.
Career
An unusually scented commemorative coin in his grandfather’s collection first helped awaken his interest in fragrance. He studied chemistry at the University of Strasbourg and cosmetic, flavour and fragrance engineering at Montpellier 2 before training at Robertet’s perfumery school in Grasse. He subsequently spent three years working as a perfumer in Paris. After returning to China in 2021, he joined Firmenich’s Shanghai Fine Fragrance Atelier in March 2023.
Creative Style & Philosophy
Guo describes traditional Chinese poetry, abstract painting and the country’s landscapes as enduring sources of inspiration. Incense, herbs and oils encountered while growing up in Beijing form another layer of his sensory memory. He credits his studies in chemistry and fragrance engineering with providing a foundation for formal perfumery training. Alongside that technical grounding, remembered places and unfamiliar smells supply imaginative starting points, allowing cultural references to become contemporary compositions rather than literal reproductions.
Signature Works
- *Iris* for Chloé’s Atelier des Fleurs — A fragrance centred on iris, with a soft floral and powdery character.
- *Seoul 6am* for SW19 — Cypress, pink pepper, woods and musk evoke cool dawn air moving through a hanok and the warmth of its wooden floor.
