*CHARLIE'S QUESTIONNAIRE* - Laura Girard

Laura Girard

Laura Girard is the founder and creative director of Cadèle Paris. She explores fragrance as an art of emotion, texture and elegance. Inspired by Parisian sophistication, cinematic atmospheres and precious materials, she created Cadèle as a fragrance house blending refined perfumery with the energy and beauty of semi-precious gemstones, creating scents designed as intimate and timeless signatures. My first encounter with Cadèle Paris was when I got to discover Rose Fatale created in 2022 by Amelie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel. An amazing, rich and chic rose composition that never ceases to amaze me.

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What was your first seriously worn perfume?

Probably Narciso Rodriguez For Her. I discovered it when I was very young and I remember being fascinated by the way a fragrance could become part of someone’s presence. It had this intimate elegance, soft yet unforgettable, that made me understand perfume is not only about smelling good, but about leaving an emotional imprint.

2. What do you love in perfumes?

I love fragrances that create an atmosphere before you even fully understand the notes. The kind of scent that feels textured, magnetic, almost cinematic. I’m deeply sensitive to elegance in perfumery, balance, beautiful raw materials, and above all, emotion.

3. What annoys you in perfumes?

When they feel too obvious or overconstructed. Sometimes perfumes try too hard to impress through excessive power or complexity and lose their soul in the process. I’m more touched by refinement, subtle tension and a true signature than by something overwhelmingly loud.

4. If you were a perfume note, what note would you be?

Probably a dark rose touched by warm woods. Something elegant and sensual, with softness on the surface but real depth underneath. The kind of note that reveals itself slowly rather than all at once.

5. The first place you apply perfume on is…?

Usually on my neck and wrists, but I also love perfuming my clothes or the inside of a blazer. Fabric keeps fragrance alive in such a beautiful and intimate way throughout the day.

6. Your personal perfume would definitely feature the note of…?

Amber without hesitation. Not a heavy amber, but a luminous, sensual and enveloping one. I love notes that feel warm and addictive while remaining elegant and skin-like.

7. Your recent perfume crush?

Lately I’ve been rediscovering fragrances built around mineral and woody facets. I’m fascinated by scents that feel clean yet sensual at the same time, almost like warm skin touched by sunlight on stone.

8. When you forget to apply perfume…?

I genuinely feel something is missing. Perfume is the final gesture before stepping into the world. Without it, I feel unfinished almost like leaving home without jewelry.

9. You can be gifted with a liftime supply of all perfumes from one brand. Which one will you choose?

I think I would choose a house that still treats perfumery as an art form rather than a trend. I’m drawn to brands with a strong creative identity, exceptional raw materials and fragrances that reveal themselves slowly over time. The kind of perfumes you don’t wear for compliments, but for the emotion and atmosphere they create. If you ask about a specific brand that would definitely be Guerlain. I’ve always admired the timeless elegance of the house.

10. Which perfume do you miss?

I miss vintage versions of Guerlain masterpieces like Samsara or L’Heure Bleue. They had an incredible depth and sensuality, with a very distinctive signature that felt both elegant and emotional. Some perfumes from that era had a soul that still fascinates me today. They had a very cinematic quality that is sometimes softened today through reformulations. I’m nostalgic for perfumes that felt truly unforgettable and slightly untouchable.