Exploring the World of Scent & Culture: An interview with Dhruva Chandra Deevanshi

From a young age, Dhruva was immersed in the captivating world of perfumery, surrounded by the enchanting aromas of cosmetic products. Now, as a Junior Perfumer at Takasago India, Dhruva's passion for fragrance has only deepened. Drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of Indian cultures, Dhruva takes us on an exclusive journey into the perfumery industry, offering insights into the latest consumer trends and developments. With a background in fragrance evaluation, Dhruva has cultivated a unique sensibility for fragrance creation, skillfully blending the captivating power of scent with the rich artistic traditions of our industry.

How did you discover the power of scent, and when did you realise that you wanted to become a fine fragrance perfumer?

I am a tirelessly curious and sensitive person, and believe that these two qualities help me as a perfumer to visualize the artistic, cultural and mythological relevance of scent and and their history of specific scent molecules. From Hindu scripted mythology to Indian Cuisines, I aim to evoke collective fantasies, memories and ignite the emotions through smell. I grew up surrounded by the smells of my father's business cosmetic products, and I still remember falling in love with the various natural and synthetic raw materials used in perfumery and began to express myself through fragrances.

What steps did you take to join the industry and become a Junior Perfumer?

I started to consider perfumery as a career when I taught chemistry and discovered to love messing- up with aroma molecules of organic compounds. My passion for the subject led me then to pursue studies at Perfumery School in Mumbai.

As a native Indian Perfumer, how much of an impact did Indian fragrance culture have on your perfumery style?

Indian cultures and traditions are very important to my perfumery: we celebrate hundreds of festival experiences in India, everyday holds a new celebration. Indian cultures display during those festivals a variety of religious and cultural motifs: from ornate idols in extravagant parades, to specific food dishes, dances and music, sacred rituals, and vibrant coolers! In perfumery, most of the time, inspiration comes from our cultures, which are shaped by the demands of Indian consumers, and I always prioritize cultural aspects when designing new scents.

How did your background in scent & care evaluation influence your perfumery?

Starting as an evaluator was hugely influential on my perfumery path. The evaluator is the perfumer’s advisor, they play a key role in structuralizing the final scent composition. It gave me further understanding of how to read clients' briefs, and submit new ideas. My background in evaluation helped me to accumulate knowledge of olfactory family’s specific odour, understand different brands portfolio, and evaluate new creations and products already on the market. Most importantly, having developed expertise in naturals and synthetic raw materials during my years as an evaluator helped me to shape my personal perfumery style.

Do you think fragrance consumption has been changing over the past years? If so, how? And how do you respond to the market changes as a perfumer?

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the fragrance industry has been growing drastically along with many challenges of aroma molecules crises. In this fast-paced life consumers tend to be more fascinated towards celebrity perfumes, designed to hit the market and make profits, secondly timeless classics scent with their expensive natural ingredients and the amounts perfumers are being restricted by the IFRA, which regulate the industry. As perfumers, we must come up with creative solutions to respond to these restrictions, and chemistry is our best ally, having allowed many incredible developments and innovations in our industry. The end goal for a perfumer is to create appealing smells for consumers.

How does Takasago support your creativity?

I am proud to be a part of Takasago, and for being one of the elite perfumery housese worldwide; the outstanding career path available at Takasago exudes passion and inspire me to fulfill my dream to be a successful perfumer. Takasago trains many masters perfumers, and continues to transmit the craftsmanship and heritage of our industry. The fragrances, scents, and raw materials that are part of Takasago's company heritage have given me a rich bank of olfactive ideas. It is a big privilege to translate these experiences and inspirations into creations.

As a young perfumer, do you have any colleagues you look up to or admire for their perfumery contributions?

Absolutely! The Fragrance Industry is quite vast and welcomes a variety of careers. I am always proud of my colleagues and their contributions to share knowledge and passion behind perfumery. I am extremely thankful for their tireless contributions in seeking ways to leverage technological developments to enhance the world of perfumery and bring delight to our customers and consumers.

What type of fragrances are you looking to create? What excites you about your job?

Every day working in perfumery excites me: one of the most awaited moments of my daily tasks for example is to discover new notes and olfactory facets in aroma molecules . As a perfumer your nose is always switched on to feel every essence of your surroundings. Hence why I am excited to work on an extended fragrance imaginary: from capturing the delicious aromas of Gulf desserts, to using Indian and South Asian spices. I am particularly intrigued to work on giving new life to Ambree Fragrances, and work with some of the most noble materials such as Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Spices and Animal notes. Amber fragrances always had a universal appeal within different global civilizations, because of their olfactory richness, and resonance in everyday cultures, cuisines and lifestyles, and so many new ambery scents and facets have to be yet discovered!

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to join the industry and considering a career in fine fragrance?

Anyone can aspire to succeed in the fragrance industry. Be creative and hungry to explore new things. Talent requires hard work and a good amount of hope, ambition, and the right opportunities to encourage the improvements required to advance in your career. But most of all, you must have a clear vision of the dreams you aim to achieve.

What is one of your most favourite scent memories?

Perfume is made of invisible molecules that express your emotion and can evoke a very specific moment of your life again. I have this very vivid scent memory from childhood at my hometown of Jaunpur, sitting around the bonfire and smelling of burning wood during the winter seasons. It had this distinguished aroma of woody, smoky, and leathery dust, and to this day, some smoky, woody molecules can take me back to my childhood memories.