While launching his eponymous brand in Dubai, renowned perfumer Ramón Monegal opens up on perfumes and more … in this brief interview
Come March, Spanish perfumer Ramón Monegal has ramped up his portfolio by stocking up shelves at Bloomingdale’s-Dubai with eight of his most distinguished Eau De Parfums. Another exclusive signature fragrance, ‘Dubai Next to Me’ has been specially formulated for the iconic emirate of Dubai. Coming from the house of Myrurgia, Ramón Monegal represents the fourth generation of the founders of this reputed perfumery in Barcelona, established in 1916.
There are few things that inspire the master perfumer apart from nature, and literature is one of them. Words transform into notes, phrases into chords, narratives into compositions, and the ink into imagined perfume. An able perfumer composes perfumes as a balanced blend of natural scents and chemical molecules of the highest quality, and now Monegal, 30 years down the line, is working hard to excel and transfer his knowledge to the fifth generation. And it all took shape – in 2009 – with his own fragrance collection and a workshop specialising in mixing, maceration, production and control.
We caught up with the artistically-free perfumer during his two-day visit to Dubai for the launch. Here are a few excerpts:
What got you interested in perfumes?
I belong to the fourth generation of a perfumery family in Barcelona. The art of fragrance is inside of me. I studied architecture when younger but in my family, you have to study to learn perfumery. I was very lucky to have a very good maestro, a man who soon became my mentor. My maestro gave me the passion and creativity for the perfumery and also taught me that I can be creative within the perfumery world. The first perfume I created with total freedom was for my wife, as a gift on our wedding day. It had no name and was made with notes of rose, iris and vanilla. I still make it for her to this day. My first commercial fragrance was for our family company in 1979 . The name was Alada, and became the best seller in Spain for more than 20 years. The first fragrance I created for a fashion brand was for Adolfo Dominguez and even today it is one of the best sellers in Spain.
As a perfumer, what does perfume mean to you?
For me, the perfume means communication. The perfume defines the olfactory image. And this image has to be married, like wine is married to food, with the visual and personal image. The perfume is not an accessory.
Can you tell me about the latest perfume you have launched?
The latest perfume I have created is Dubai Next To Me, made exclusively for Bloomingdale’s-Dubai. From my first visit to Dubai in September 2013 the thing that fascinated me most was the feeling that in Dubai, everything is possible. The magnitude of the buildings, as an architect, its meaning for me is very important. As a big city in the desert, in Dubai I feel that there exists a magical force that allows you to make true whatever you want. Inspired by this magic, I developed this fragrance around the smoke of burning woods like oud, cedar, sandalwood and the resins like myrrh and incense and combined it with the energy and power of sea amber and chocolate and added the courage of spice. ‘Dubai Next to Me’ defines an olfactory image that communicates everything is possible and evokes the security of someone who can do anything.
You can pick a 50 ml bottle of any of the Ramón Monegal fragrances at Bloomingdale’s-Dubai, The Dubai Mall.
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