The Poetry of Perfume with Manuel Bourgaux, Master Perfumer at Iberchem
In this interview, Manuel Bourgaux, Master Perfumer at Iberchem, opens up about how heritage, culture, and emotion shape his creations. Each fragrance he crafts is a journey, an intricate blend of memory, artistry, and science, waiting to be experienced.
When creating fragrances became your true calling?
It wasn’t a single moment, but a feeling that grew quietly within me. Even before studying chemistry, I was captivated by scents, analysing their nuances, and feeling an instinctive need to create. Perfume became more than curiosity; it became a calling.
Reading Patrick Süskind’s Le Parfum deepened that conviction. One chapter stood out: Grenouille enters a fragrance shop and describes every scent with obsessive precision. That passage resonated deeply with me, capturing the invisible world of emotions and memories hidden inside each bottle. From that point, I wasn’t just working with molecules, I was chasing the poetry within them.
What inspired you to join Iberchem? How do you see your role shaping the brand’s creative identity in the Middle East?
What inspired me most to join was the people. During my interviews, I felt authentic warmth and honesty, a genuine passion that made me feel at home. I was also drawn to Iberchem’s forward-looking vision. I wanted to contribute to its journey, not just its present.
My role is to elevate the company’s creative identity, particularly in the Middle East, by guiding the team toward a daring and imaginative approach. Creativity is not only about crafting beautiful fragrances but also about bringing clients along on that journey, showing our artistic capabilities and building trust in our vision. Iberchem should be recognised not only for expertise, but for the soul it brings to perfumery.
How do you balance technical precision with emotional storytelling in a perfume?
Perfumery is a dialogue between science and emotion. Technically, a perfume must have the right strength, diffusion, and substantivity, the invisible structure allowing it to unfold beautifully on the skin. But technical precision alone isn’t enough. A perfume must tell a story, evoking emotions and memories.
When a creation doesn’t spark the right feelings, I refine it until structure and soul are in harmony. This reflects Iberchem’s philosophy of creativity through science. Science provides tools, while creativity gives poetry and emotional depth. My role is to merge the two so every perfume feels masterfully crafted and deeply moving.
Growing up surrounded by herbs, flowers and coriander in Belgium, which childhood scents continue to influence your creations today?
Belgium shaped my sensibilities. Aromatic herbs like basil, thyme and coriander remain influential. Flowers such as peony, rose, and linden evoke nostalgia and timeless elegance. And of course, chocolate and pralines, gourmand notes that align perfectly with current trends celebrating warmth and indulgence.
Every perfume I create is a journey back to those early memories, weaving my childhood essence into fragrances that speak to the hearts of others.
The Middle East has a rich heritage of bold, opulent scents. How do you balance regional traditions with global fragrance trends in your work at Iberchem?
The Middle East has an extraordinary olfactive heritage, with bold, opulent scents. My role is to honour this tradition while translating it for a global audience. I draw on regional preferences, weaving them into creations for international brands, sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly.
For example, Dubai chocolate, a sweet syrup note with pistachio, began as a local favourite and became a global trend. This shows how regional scents can inspire worldwide innovation when approached creatively and respectfully.
If you were to create a fragrance that captures ‘this moment in your life,’ what story would it tell, and which notes would define it?
If I were to capture this moment in my life as a fragrance, it would reflect the many cultures and experiences that have shaped me. Just like a perfume, my journey has been built in layers, each chapter leaving its own imprint.
The base: oud, incense, and a touch of praline, depth, warmth, and richness. The heart: rose and pink pepper, a balance of tenderness and energy, representing passion and creativity. The top: coriander, bergamot, and freshly cut grass, bright, invigorating, evoking my roots and my drive for renewal.
This fragrance tells a story of harmony between cultures, a journey of contrasts and connections, much like my life and path as a perfumer.
