DAVID APEL

The nose behind Freckled and Beautiful and Je M’en Fous.

HIS STORY

“The most interesting things happen when you discover these things that haven’t been done before. The only way to do that is to do things outside the rules.”

Born in New Jersey, David Apel was an outdoorsy boy whose passion for exploring forests and coastlines led him to study environmental chemistry. An unexpected offer from Givaudan brought him to perfumery, where his first job had him analyzing products already on the market in the gas chromatography lab. There, he developed a deep knowledge of the complexity of raw materials and a perfume philosophy of sorts: every perfume can be considered a work in progress. Art is seldom finished. He joined the American Society of Perfumers’ apprenticeship programme in 1990 and was able to formalise his new passion through on-the-job study. As a junior perfumer he started winning some decidedly senior jobs, and was sent to work with the cream of European perfumers in Paris. There, he drew strength from the uninhibited freedom of being an outsider. With the landscapes of his native New England in mind, he created some of his signature formulations and bases, catapulting his career and eventually leading him to join Symrise, where he works to this day.

“Maybe the difference between me and others is the naivety that I had as a young perfumer, which I still think I maintain as an old perfumer. Maybe that’s it.”

  • My motto is: “You can always wash dishes.” That came from my dad and his humble beginnings as a cook. He was always able to start again when he lost a job, or when the restaurant closed. He was able to find another job at the bottom washing dishes, and build his way up until he became the chef. I always believed that was a good way to look at the world. 

  • L’Eau d’Issey pour Femme. It’s the pinnacle of a note that I had always played with. My whole schtick for a while was the ozonic, oceanic, atmospheric stuff, epitomized by Calone. So, I did Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden, and when I was finished I was happy with it. Then I smelled L’Eau d’Issey pour Femme and I literally said: “Oh shoot! That is what I should have done.”

  • I think of myself as a bit of a cave painter, exploring the rough outlines. I don’t particularly love getting enmeshed in the fine details: I prefer to make a statement with a couple of big, broad strokes. It’s a bit more rustic, but I like to create fragrances that way.

(Bio & interview provided by Symrise)