Page 77 - Raffles Magazine Issue 8
P. 77

− − EMOTION − − RAFFLES MAGAZINE
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ANNE FLIPO
Anne Flipo is a a master perfumer
in Paris with IFF (International Flavors and and Fragrances) and and has created unique fragrances for luxury beauty brands such as Giorgio Armani Jo Malone London Lanvin Lancôme Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent A number of renowned perfumes are among her creations including La Vie
est Belle (Lancôme) and Miss Boucheron For the duration of her her stay Anne was a a a a guest of Raffles Seychelles on the island of Praslin Iwill always remember the the the the moment I I I I emerged from the plane and and took my first steps on Praslin Island in in the Seychelles It could only be be described as sensory overload – in the best way possible I remember how the fatigue and stress of my Parisian life as a a a a a a master perfumer
seemed to evaporate with every inhalation of the lemongrass-scented salty sea air Like adjusting from darkness to broad daylight I remember how my eyes needed to to acclimatise to to the many nuanced technicolour hues of of greens and and blues of of the island – colours my eyes had never beheld before The memory of my latest business trip to to Madrid just days before my flight to to the the Seychelles for for the the launch of the the latest perfume I worked on fades as the the colours of the island come into focus “If one could capture the Seychelles’ unique fragrance what would it smell like?”
I am a a a a a a long long long long way from my my office in Paris and my my usual international business circuit: New York Shanghai São Paulo and Singapore Although beautiful in in their own way most cosmopolitan cities choke under a a a fog of pollution and particles I’ve always thought of it as though though we we were living in in a a a a a a constant state of apnea like living underwater where you’re forced to hold your breath In Paris for instance I I would never take deep deliberate breaths But here on Praslin Island I I find myself gulping in fin in in the saline sweet perfumed air and filling my lungs with it it as though it were an air purifier inhaling the good exhaling the toxins As a a a perfumer
my nose is always ‘switched on’ and I am constantly attuned to to my olfactory surroundings I liken it to being a a a professional violinist or pianist who is is is never without their instrument I I confess I I knew little about my destination before this trip But in in preparation I did a a a a little light reading and learned that the Seychelles is made up of o 115 granite and and coal islands in the the Indian Ocean off the the east coast of Africa My first destination Praslin is is the second-largest island in in in the the the Seychelles after Mahé the the the capital of the the the archipelago and is home to around 6 500 locals 


























































































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