The Parallels of Sound and Scent:
with Angèle + Olivier Polge
Since 2001, Wax Poetics have been a vanguard in the celebration of cultural innovation, artistic expression and music scholarship. Chanel has been key in turning style into an artform, all the while constantly emphasising the heritage ethos of Gabrielle Chanel – the brand’s legendary founder who revolutionised women’s fashion in the early 20th century and inspired the latest Chance fragrance.
To celebrate the launch of Chance Eau Splendide, Wax Poetics and Chanel have partnered for a bespoke editorial series exploring art and creativity through the lens of music and fragrance.
The fourth installment of this series features Belgian pop singer-songwriter and long-term ambassador for Chanel in conversation with Chanel’s in-house perfumer-creator, Olivier Polge. Renowned for his innovative approach to scent design, Polge has been running point on Chanel fragrances since 2015, succeeding his father Jacques Polge.
Together, their worlds coalesce for a conversation exploring the under-discussed connections between fragrance and music. Musing on the dual role they can play on our emotions, sense of instinct, nostalgia and memory. Drawing from their shared history in classical piano and eventual pivot from it, Angèle and Olivier illuminate the ways in which trusting their instincts can lead to unexpected beauty and deepened self-discovery.
FEATURING...
Sound & Scent : Angèle & Olivier POLGE
Q&A
You both initially had aspirations connected to classical piano but eventually went into other directions with your careers. What did these leaps teach you about trusting your instincts?
Angèle – When I started playing music, I was doing classical piano, which I think is a very important base to start from. But then when I was older, I started playing a little bit of jazz, which helped me to understand music from a bigger perspective. I think it helped me to trust my instincts. You [Olivier] also did a little bit of music no?
Olivier – Yes, I did a little bit of music, but I’ve gone very far from that today because I now create perfumes. But when I think about what could have built my personality, I think that music is one of the most important things. I have a taste for all types of music in general but especially the pianists that were composing during the early 19th century like Chopin and Schumann. The time when the piano became what it is today. When I listen to music, it makes me dream and it’s the same with perfume.
What jazz artists at large mean a lot to you?
Angèle – The Dave Brubeck Quartet. I'm a fan of the album where you can hear ‘Take Five’ [Time Out], because of the very unusual rhythms that they use. It feels very natural when you hear it, but when you start to count the five rhythms, you realise it’s not that common.
I would also say Ella Fitzgerald, because I've been listening to her my whole life. I love all of the periods of her life. I love what she did with orchestras and also when there were less musicians in the room. Her voice was so powerful when she was scatting. I'm not a fan of scatting, but when it comes from her - it's perfect.
Other important inspirations were Herbie Hancock, Sarah Vaughn, Etta James, Nina Simone and Chet Baker.
Olivier – I really like Bill Evans. There was a tune and a full album of his called ‘Waltz for Debby’ which I liked very much.
What links can be made between the world of fragrance and the world of music?
Olivier – Music and perfume both express something intimate. There is something in both that translates from you. We are very poor in words when we speak about perfume. There are none that really expresses the reality of it and we use a lot of words from music. We speak about notes, we speak about chords and I think you could even speak about the tonality of a perfume. There is something that we cannot express and I like that.
You mentioned how there's natural parallels between music and fragrance, but can you speak about how both can impact someone's mood?
Olivier – One of the comparisons that can be made when I write a formula, is that it is a little bit like writing a score. Another parallel between music and perfume is that they very much depend on your mood. I don't feel the same connection to a song every day. And it's the same with perfume. Sometimes it might touch a certain side of you and another day, it could be a different side.
Angèle – For me, hearing and smelling are both really connected to memories.
Olivier – Sometimes they even influence you without you noticing it. It's very unconscious.
"There were multiple times where I had to take a chance or be quite audacious in my career"
The ‘Chance’ fragrance line promotes an aspirational compass. How do fragrances reinforce how one feels about themselves?
Olivier – I think that when you choose a fragrance for yourself, the fragrance you wear is probably a step for you to build up your personality. I think that to this extent, the same way with the clothes you wear, fragrance is a way to reinsure your personality. I think it has this function somehow.
Angèle – How is ‘Chance’ promoting this idea?
Olivier – ‘Chance’ is a perfume that is very direct and strikes you, by its freshness. It's a colourful scent. With its bright and very fresh notes, ‘Chance’ gives a feeling of optimism.
Can you give an example of where you’ve had to be audacious and take a chance?
Angèle – There were multiple times where I had to take a chance or be quite audacious in my career, I would say. Especially in the very beginning, because I chose to do the opening slot for this rapper called Damso, who later became a very good friend of mine. We’ve collaborated many times together. But this was in 2017, the very beginning of my career. I just had maybe one single out, and the audience was there for rap music, and I arrived with a lot of confidence and started singing some pop songs. I could never thank him more for what he brought me, because this experience was pretty tough, but it was also very important for me to understand how to convince an audience that’s not convinced at first. It was the very first step of my music career, so I learned a lot in those three or four months.
Olivier – I'm not on stage when I make audacious decisions. If I think about the scents, sometimes I try to completely reverse the interaction between all the ingredients. These are things that you cannot see, it is a discrete revolution.
Watch our Chance in Music roundtable discussion featuring Angèle, alongside Neneh Cherry, Solange Knowles and Yukimi Nagano here
about chanel
Chanel is a private company and a world leader in creating, developing, manufacturing and distributing luxury products. Founded by Gabrielle Chanel at the beginning of the last century, Chanel offers a broad range of high-end creations, including Ready-to-Wear, Leather Goods, Fashion Accessories, Eyewear, Fragrances, Makeup, Skincare, Jewellery and Watches. Chanel is also renowned for its Haute Couture collections, presented twice yearly in Paris, and for having acquired a large number of specialized suppliers, collectively known as the Métiers d’Art. Chanel is dedicated to ultimate luxury and to the highest level of craftsmanship. It is a brand whose core values remain historically grounded on exceptional creation. As such, Chanel promotes culture, art, creativity and “savoir-faire” throughout the world, and invests significantly in people, R&D, sustainable development and innovation. At the end of 2023 Chanel employed more than 36,500 people worldwide.
