ParfumPlus Arabia

with obsessive precision. That passage resonated deeply with me, capturing the invisible world of emotions and memories hidden inside each bottle. From that point, I wasn’t just working with molecules, I was chasing the poetry within them. PP : AFTER AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER AT FIRMENICH AND MANE, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN IBERCHEM, AND HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE SHAPING THE BRAND’S CREATIVE IDENTITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST? MB : What inspired me most to join was the people. During my interviews, I felt authentic warmth and honesty, a genuine passion that made me feel at home. I was also drawn to Iberchem’s forward-looking vision. I wanted to contribute to its journey, not just its present. My role is to elevate the company’s creative identity, particularly in the Middle East, by guiding the team toward a daring and imaginative approach. Creativity is not only about crafting beautiful fragrances but also about bringing clients along on that journey, showing our artistic capabilities and building trust in our vision. Iberchem should be recognised not only for expertise, but for the soul it brings to perfumery. PP : YOUR WORK IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS WHERE ART MEETS SCIENCE. HOW DO YOU BALANCE TECHNICAL PRECISION WITH EMOTIONAL STORYTELLING IN A PERFUME? MB : Perfumery is a dialogue between science and emotion. Technically, a perfume must have the right strength, diffusion, and substantivity, the invisible structure allowing it to unfold beautifully on the skin. But technical precision alone isn’t enough. A perfume must tell a story, evoking emotions and memories. IN THIS EXCLUSIVE interview with ParfumPlus Magazine, Manuel Bourgaux, Master Perfumer at Iberchem, opens up about how heritage, culture, and emotion shape his creations. Each fragrance he crafts is a journey, an intricate blend of memory, artistry, and science, waiting to be experienced. PARFUMPLUS : YOU STARTED AS A CHEMIST BEFORE DISCOVERING PERFUMERY. CAN YOU SHARE THE MOMENT WHEN CREATING FRAGRANCES BECAME YOUR TRUE CALLING? Manuel Bourgaux : It wasn’t a single moment, but a feeling that grew quietly within me. Even before studying chemistry, I was captivated by scents, analysing their nuances, and feeling an instinctive need to create. Perfume became more than curiosity; it became a calling. Reading Patrick Süskind’s Le Parfum deepened that conviction. One chapter stood out: Grenouille enters a fragrance shop and describes every scent P A R F U M P L U S 37