Yves Cassar
An IFF perfumer whose career began in the analysis of natural materials and whose work explores their many facets.
France
About Yves Cassar
Yves Cassar is an IFF perfumer whose career began with the analysis of natural fragrance materials. His work explores the many facets an ingredient can bring to a composition.
Career
While studying biochemistry in Nice, Cassar encountered perfumers through a laboratory that analyzed raw materials. He gained experience at natural-material supplier Lautier Fils and learned from perfumer Claude Ellena. After moving to New York, he joined IFF in 1998. Alongside creating fragrances, he has continued to work with raw materials and their quality.
Creative Style & Philosophy
Nature close to home, including his flower garden and the sea, offers a source of inspiration. Speaking about vetiver, Cassar describes the contrast between the freshness of the newly dug root and the earthy, smoky facets of its essence. He also describes how vetiver can take on different qualities when paired with citrus, cedar, rose or musk. For him, getting to know a material deeply is part of creating a perfume.
Signature Works
- *Tom Ford for Men* — a fragrance featuring grapefruit blossom.
- *Fog* — a fragrance for Henry Rose.
- *Dirty Rose 2024* — a rose and spice fragrance co-created with Douglas Little.
