Dominique Roques

Dominique Roques (Paris, aged 72), the natural resource scout for the world’s most famous fragrances, is a tireless traveller who has journeyed across the globe in search of the most exquisite flowers, seeds and resins: vanilla from Madagascar, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, benzoin from Laos, patchouli from Indonesia, vetiver from Haiti…

In his talks, he blends the mysteries of perfume-making, the exoticism of travel, the impact of the climate crisis on raw material production, and many other themes.

After more than 20 years in the profession, he spent 13 years at Firmenich as Director of Purchasing, Innovation and Promotion of Natural Ingredients. For over 30 years he has travelled the planet to find extracts of flowers, seeds, resins and woods —gifts of the earth with exceptional aromas that are combined into infinite olfactory formulas. Beyond seeking the finest essences, he has worked to establish sustainable best practices and to bridge the gap between the world of harvesting/extraction and the perfume industry.

He is the author of, among others, The Perfume of Forests (Siruela), where he explores the deep connection between people and trees, and The Seeker of Essences (also Siruela), already in its 3rd Spanish edition, a delightful homage to the crafts of perfumery.