Jean-Claude Ellena
« The fragrances I create for The Different Company all have a unique olfactive note. They represent today's quest for olfactive perfection. » Jean-Claude Ellena, 2000.
Born in Grasse and the son of a perfumer, Jean-Claude Ellena was involved in the world of perfumery from an early age. At the age of 16, he made his debut at Chiris, then continued his studies at Givaudan in Geneva. He composed his first creations for renowned houses (Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, Cartier, Hermès, etc.), which quickly became successful. Co-founder and first nose to take part in the adventure of The Different Company, he chose to use natural raw materials, rarely found in traditional perfumes, thus marking his difference - our difference. For Jean Claude Ellena, formulas are reworked "sometimes hundreds of times... Too much of this, not enough of that", the story is constantly being redrawn, explains this enthusiast. Jean-Claude Ellena's olfactory writing is rich in imaginary references, but always pared down, in a desire to evoke reality rather than describe it...
Emilie Coppermann
« Designing for The Different Company allows me to express myself without any constraints and in complicity with the brand. » Émilie Coppermann, 2012.
Émilie is part of a new generation of perfumers who combine a deep knowledge of classic perfumery with the practice of composing complex fragrances with master perfumers. Émilie Coppermann discovered her passion for perfume at the age of 14, thanks to her love of flowers. So it was only natural that she went on to study at ISIPCA in Versailles to become a perfumer and turn her passion into a profession. More than a vocation, for Émilie, it's total immersion in a fragrant universe that captivates her and nourishes her creations. Her talent is a direct consequence of her cheerful, open-minded and unconventional nature.
The collaboration between The Different Company and Émilie Coppermann began in 2012: a new approach to Cologne was born. Complexity, density and lightness are associated with the codes of Cologne behind an immediate approach. Her compositions for The Different Company are imbued with a freshness and poetry all her own.
Céline Ellena
« I compose my fragrances with the aim of creating the best possible scent, without any cost or marketing constraints. » Céline Ellena, 2004.
After studying linguistics and psychology, Céline Ellena, like the worthy heir of her father Jean-Claude Ellena, entered a prestigious school: ISIPCA, and soon became a perfumer for some of the major Houses. These early years instilled in her a curiosity for observing the world of scent, a finesse for analysis, and an enthusiasm and joie de vivre that are evident in all her creations.
It was during her collaboration with The Different Company that Céline Ellena explored dreamlike horizons, encouraging the discovery of new olfactory sensations, while respecting her values: no cost or marketing constraints.
Christine Nagel
«It's a unique experience to be able to create for The Different Company. The freedom to create is both a great vote of confidence from this House of Haute Parfumerie and a real challenge. » Christine Nagel, 2014.
Christine Nagel is a mix of science, Swiss precision and Italian generosity. She studied chemistry and began working in the chromatography department of a research laboratory. She went on to become a leading perfumer driven by a love of beautiful natural and synthetic raw materials, and a never-ending drive to discover new ingredients and scents. Optimistic and enthusiastic, Christine is guided by her emotions and inspired by people. For her, creating fragrances is the best way to express herself. She likes to take a material, knead it until she tames it... Changing the state of the material to divert it into a new, unexpected form!
In 2014, she signed her only collaboration with The Different Company with a Floral-Ambré: Une Nuit Magnétique, All Night Long.
Alexandra Monet
Enthusiastic and spontaneous, Alexandra's sensitivity enables her to put her emotions into words.
After studying at ISIPCA, Alexandra spent her entire career with DROM. Her collaboration with The Different Company began in 2013 with the creation of Sillages d'intérieur. She continued with the creation of our anniversary fragrance, now the must-have Santo Incienso, Sillage Sacré and Adjatay, cuir Narcotique, in the Juste Chic Collection, in 2016.
Bertrand Duchaufour
« I'm constantly on the lookout for fragrances that don't yet exist, always bearing in mind that The Different Company is all about the pleasure of discovering exceptional fragrances. » Bertrand Duchaufour, 2011.
Bertrand Duchaufour learned the perfume trade in Grasse, working alongside Jean-Claude Ellena and Lucien Ferrero. For over 21 years, he has worked for prestigious brands and clients within groups specialized in olfactory creation. In 2007, Bertrand Duchaufour decided to strike out on his own and became an independent perfumer. This epicurean and free spirit creates fragrances like works of art. True expressions of life, his creations reflect the emotions of an era, but also timeless emotions, always specific to the human race. His creative process follows a few fundamental principles: balance is achieved when opposites are balanced, through the Tao's laws of yin and yang; to construct is to destructure, to deform olfactory principles, playing on their very nature; to sublimate the natural raw materials used in the presence of well-chosen synthetic products in order to arrive at the evidence of a beautiful accord; to respect a few key criteria: the originality of the accord, its power of diffusion and its remanence. A rare and delicate alchemy to compose.
Bertrand Duchaufour's work with raw materials such as Oud, which he makes a point of using "in a very different and generous way", is one of the reasons he joined The Different Company in 2011.
Thierry De Baschmakoff
« Perfumery respects tradition and sticks to the 2 essential elements of the container: A bottle and a cap, and that's it. Pure design. » Thierry de Baschmakoff, 2011.
He was born by chance in Grasse, the homeland of his Russian emigrant father. Thierry's family has been rooted in Russian tradition and history since 1662. After training as an engineer, Thierry De Baschmakoff became interested in the world of perfumery and decided to devote himself to bottle design. Quickly recognized for his talent and rigor, he became one of the leading designers in the field. He has created hundreds of luxurious objects for renowned luxury brands such as Burberry, Bulgari, Christian Dior, Guerlain, Lanvin, Versace, Caron, and many others... So it was only natural that, to create a privileged partnership between brands and his creations, he founded the Aesthete agency, which explores the luxury of tomorrow.
For The Different Company, of which he is the co-founder and artistic director, he has designed our exclusive bottles with a pure, high-quality design, as well as all our objects, right down to the design of the candles, always evoking a different contemporary style.
Luc Gabriel
In 2004, on the departure of Jean-Claude Ellena, he took over The Different Company to carry on the brand's DNA and development. This enthusiast knows the world of perfume well, having grown up in the family perfumery run by his mother.
With a classical education (Sciences Po Paris, MBA from HEC Paris, Masters in Finance and Law from the Sorbonne), Luc has successively been a banker, a strategy consultant with McKinsey and a company director. A citizen of the world, a motorcycle and airplane pilot, a passionate cook and pastry chef, and a pianist and drummer, Luc was born in Paris, French on his mother's side, whose origins date back to the Capetians, and Syrian/Haitian on his father's. He is now Chairman and CEO of a number of companies. Today, he is President and Artistic Olfactory Director of our company.