Olivier Polge is the fourth In-House Perfumer Creator at CHANEL, a role he has held since 2015, guiding the Laboratory of Fragrance Creation and Development with a blend of artistic vision and rigorous craft.
This interview arrives as CHANEL unveils BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF, a new chapter in the BLEU narrative. Composed as a woody, ambery aromatic built on depth and texture, it explores a darker register of blue while refining the trail and architecture from the base.
The Interview
If I say the word “blue”, what comes to mind?
BLEU DE CHANEL is no ordinary blue. It’s not the refreshing blue of a cloudless sky. It’s more intense – the final shade of blue before blue turns to black. BLEU DE CHANEL is a blue that evokes depth and density.
How did you create this brand new BLEU DE CHANEL?
It was my father* who created the BLEU DE CHANEL line. With L’Exclusif, the idea was to add a new chapter to the fragrance’s story, to reinterpret the theme of BLEU DE CHANEL. To do so, we started with an existing formula; then, like turning a kaleidoscope, we shifted the key components to reveal new facets, intensifying certain notes until new harmonies emerged. L’Exclusif leaves a distinctive mark – textured with leathery notes.
What are the olfactory characteristics of BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF?
BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF is a “woody, ambery-aromatic” fragrance. Its notes, centred around lavender, are classically masculine. These are followed by the woody and leathery-amber accords. While cedar plays a key role, we built the fragrance’s intensity on a foundation of sandalwood and the leathery, resinous facets of cistus labdanum.
Can you tell us about what distinguishes CHANEL sandalwood?
The sandalwood we select stands out, first and foremost, for its botanical variety, Santalum austrocaledonicum, but also for its extraction method, which allows us to capture unique woody facets. It is therefore essential to work on the combinations of this sandalwood with other raw materials to give the fragrance its energy. The combinations can hinge on the subtlest details. Sandalwood is a particularly refined and dense wood that needs to be enhanced in order to reveal all its facets.
With BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF, you said you wanted to go beyond perfume…
For L’Exclusif, the goal was to “go beyond perfume”. We had to find the tone that would express our vision of a masculine extrait by repurposing the qualities of feminine extraits, such as preciousness and intensity, while adding masculinity and depth. To do that, I wanted to delve further into woody notes. By broadening the spectrum of the woody olfactory family, we naturally arrived at leathery notes, which I wanted to be especially amber-like and resinous. These notes in L’Exclusif offer a deep and mysterious expression of masculinity, revealing the complexity of this fragrance.
Is the intensity of BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF meant to evoke power?
We tend to believe that the first impression of a fragrance must always be decisive. For BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF, however, we also prioritised the trail. Its power comes from the base. That is the great challenge of my craft: to anticipate the points of diffusion of a fragrance, to give it strength without weighing it down; and in this case, for its power to rise from the base, yet contribute to the fragrance’s airiness.
Does the extraction process require a particular technique?
For N°5, Gabrielle Chanel desired an artificial (in the noble sense of the word) perfume – something composed. With that in mind, our aesthetic approach goes beyond raw essences and what nature offers us. We implement bespoke extraction techniques, which allow us to refine the raw materials and obtain unique facets. This is what we did for this BLEU: the sandalwood is notably obtained through an extraction technique specific to the House.
The BLEU DE CHANEL line transcends time. Can you tell us about its evolution?
It seems that men today are opting for bolder fragrances, genuinely seeking scents that
stand out through their trail and lasting power. This marks a shift from the masculine
perfumes of a few years ago, which favoured freshness and “clean” notes. In a different
era, discretion was a prized quality in men’s fragrances. Today, that characteristic is less
sought after; the approach to fragrance has become more emotional, more engaging. That is why BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF found its place so easily: it is a new identity that completes the complex mosaic of BLEU DE CHANEL.
How did you collaborate with Sylvie Legastelois on the design of the bottle?
Sylvie and I have an ongoing exchange that feeds us both creatively, ensuring harmony between a fragrance and its bottle. I find the shape of this bottle to be spot on. Sylvie has perfectly captured the strength and intensity of this new fragrance, even in the shape of the bottle itself.
Conclusion
What emerges from this conversation is a portrait of a perfumer who composes with discipline and grace. Olivier Polge speaks of BLEU DE CHANEL L’EXCLUSIF as a reorchestration rather than a rupture, a precise shift of the kaleidoscope that intensifies the theme and reveals a leathery, resinous glow. Lavender sets the axis, cedar frames the space, and the House’s sandalwood, Santalum austrocaledonicum, worked through bespoke extraction, gives the composition its quiet authority and enduring power.
The choice to let the strength rise from the base shows a mature understanding of trail, diffusion and proportion, aligning a modern masculine extrait with the preciousness of the classic feminine format while keeping a firm hold on identity. Even the bottle, shaped in dialogue with Sylvie Legastelois, mirrors this intention toward density, clarity and poise. In short, this is Olivier at his most articulate, advancing the BLEU idea with restraint and confidence while honouring the lineage he extends.
José Amorim
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