Interview with perfumer Dominique Ropion
Sirine Errammach: What scent instantly takes you back to your childhood?
Dominique Ropion: The smell of chalk. The smell of ink, of paper glue. These are indelible olfactory imprints. The whole story comes flooding back.
Sirine Errammach: The perfume that never leaves you?
D.R.: Eau de Cologne. Those based on citrus, bergamot, orange blossom. These are simple, fresh, universal scents.
Sirine Errammach: Which scent inspires calm and serenity in you?
D.R.: Orange blossom. It reminds me of childhood, softness, clean skin. It's a soothing scent.
Sirine Errammach: What scent takes you on a journey?
D.R.: The smell of the seaside, seaweed, iodine, sea air.
Sirine Errammach: What is the scent of love?
D.R.: The scent of love is the scent of another person's skin. It's very subjective.
Sirine Errammach: What unlikely scent would you like to bottle?
D.R.: All scents, each one tells a story.
Sirine Errammach: What scent defines who you are today?
D.R.: Perhaps a flower. I've spent a lot of time studying them, deconstructing them, understanding their molecular architecture. Jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, narcissus... They are the primary colours of my olfactory language. They speak of sensuality, complexity and tension.
Sirine Errammach: What scent do you dislike the most?
D.R.: I don't believe there are any bad scents. Even the smell of the Paris metro, for example, has a place in my sensory memory. It speaks to me, it tells me a story.
Sirine Errammach: What was your last olfactory emotion?
D.R.: Every scent is an emotion. There is no hierarchy. It often arises where you least expect it, in everyday life.
Sirine Errammach: What is the starting point for your creations?
D.R.: For me, the starting point is always the raw material. But not just its smell. I'm talking about a real molecular exploration. I analyse its structure, its components, its internal contrasts.
With Miutine, Miu Miu unveils a fragrance that plays on contrasts: the tangy freshness of a fruity note with spontaneous and joyful connotations blends with the radiance of a flower with a more structured character. A creation that expresses a free and assertive femininity, in keeping with the brand's unique universe.
Sirine Errammach: What was the inspiration for Miutine?
D.R.: The inspiration came from the unexpected encounter between two raw materials that seem to be polar opposites: wild strawberry, impertinent and pulpy, and gardenia, a sophisticated and luminous flower. Upon analysing them, I discovered that they shared common elements. Fruity lactones, floral tones and even green notes such as hexenol. That was the starting point for this composition.
Sirine Errammach: What is the key ingredient?
D.R.: The key ingredient is undoubtedly wild strawberry, and more specifically the Mara des Bois variety. It brings a lively, joyful and nostalgic dimension to the fragrance. It is worked with great precision to reveal all its facets: tart, floral and fruity.
Sirine Errammach: What was the biggest challenge in the composition?
D.R.: The main challenge was to revisit the classic chypre structure without falling into overly dark codes. We had to inject fruity and gourmand notes while maintaining a luminous elegance. Each ingredient was precisely measured to maintain a tension between lightness and sensuality, freshness and warmth. Finding this balance required meticulous work and numerous iterations.
Sirine Errammach: Any anecdotes from the creative process to share?
D.R.: I collaborated with a flavourist to enhance the wild strawberry. Working together allowed us to transform this note into a sophisticated olfactory signature. It was this multi-sensory approach, combining taste, colour and texture, that gave the strawberry its nobility in the composition.
Sirine Errammach: Is there a destination that resembles Miutine?
D.R.: Miutine evokes a vibrant, free and contrasting universe. I can easily imagine a southern destination, bathed in light, in summer.
Sirine Errammach: The ideal time to wear it?
D.R.: It's a fragrance for yourself, to be worn when you want to reconnect with your instincts and your inner joy.
Sirine Errammach: Who to give it to?
D.R.: To someone who is spontaneous. Someone who is both gentle and assertive, playful and elegant. She wears Miutine as a gesture of personal pleasure, not to seduce but to feel fully herself.
Miutine, Eau de parfum
An article written by Sirine Errammach, featured in issue 13 of OniriQ magazine.
Translated by Bethszabee Garner
