Céline Barel

“Scent of Woods is transgressing the codes of the perfume industry: high quality, uniqueness, exclusivity, scarcity, complexity, craftsmanship, know-how, innovative distribution, members and limited time only! In one word: ICONOCLAST!”

Céline Barel grew up surrounded by the heady aromas of Southern France, and was impassioned by fragrance since childhood. Engaging with blind children at her primary school, she turned to the olfactory world to share experiences and stimulate play. Morocco was another childhood home, and here Celine developed her taste for adventure, tribal cultures and exoticism.

These early influences led her to “find beauty in harmonious imperfection” and the world of dreams, imagination and stories. Today, Céline equates her role as perfumer with that of a novelist. “I aim to create fragrances that tell a story; an invitation to the Voyage.” Her inspirations are many: Loulou de la Falaise, Talitha Getty, Veruschka - alluring anticonformists who invented their own style – and irreverent and playful photographers like David LaChapelle and Ellen von Unwerth.

Céline began her career through a series of enviable internships at Chanel, Christian Dior Parfums and Louis Vuitton, immersing herself in the dual worlds of fragrance and luxury brands. She earned a Master’s degree in Marketing and International Management; then joined IFF in Milan before her ultimate dream was realized: admission to the company’s perfumery school.

Committed to promoting the world of fragrance beyond conventional parameters, and a long-term lover and student of painting, design, literature and philosophy, Céline is particularly interested in mixed media pairings and fragrance-related collaborations. Her initiatives to date include exhibitions with the Museum of Modern Art, Parsons School of Design, and Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, where she served as Resident Artist.

The industry has taken notice and Celine was awarded the Fashion International Group Rising Star Award in 2011.