Christopher Sheldrake

The beginning of a journey: from architecture to fragrance

Christopher Sheldrake is a British perfumer whose name has become synonymous with artistic and complex perfumery. His unusual journey began in the south of India, in Chennai, from where he moved to London at the age of seven. Interestingly, the future master of fragrances planned to become an architect, but fate ordered otherwise. A trip to the south of France and acquaintance with the city of Grasse, the world capital of perfumery, changed his life forever, making him fall in love with the art of creating odors.

Career in the largest perfume houses

Sheldrake began his professional journey with an internship at Charabot and then gained invaluable experience working at the legendary house of Chanel under Jacques Polge himself. This period laid the foundation for his impeccable taste. Later he joined Quest International (now Givaudan), where for more than two decades he created many fragrances for the most famous brands. Among them were Jesus Del Pozo, Rochas, Scents of Time, Avon and Space NK.

Legendary duo with Serge Lutens

Christopher Sheldrake's real fame and recognition in the world of niche perfumery came from his long-standing collaboration with visionary Serge Luthans. Having started working together on fragrances for Shiseido, they created the revolutionary Feminite du Bois in 1992, marking the beginning of a new direction. Since 2000, Sheldrake has been the nose and chief perfumer of the name brand Serge Lutens, which is responsible for the vast majority of its iconic compositions.

Best fragrances and signature handwriting

Christopher Sheldrake's style is the magic of transforming oriental, spicy and woody accords into exquisite, often surreal stories. His best perfumes for Serge Lutens, such as honeyed and tobacco Chergui, sensual Ambre Sultan, spicy Arabie or cozy Un Bois Vanille, have long been benchmarks in their categories and objects of adoration in the perfume community. His work for Chanel is no less iconic, such as the velvety patchouli Coromandel or the elegant Jersey.

A return to Chanel and continuous creativity

In 2005, Sheldrake returned to Chanel, where he became Head of Research and Development, responsible for the quality of the house's raw materials and perfume innovations. Working in tandem first with Jacques and then with Olivier Polge, he co-created many of the fragrances in the Les Exclusifs range and bestsellers such as Coco Noir. He continues to delight fans with new works for Serge Lutens, such as the enigmatic Dent de Lait or the floral Bourreau des Fleurs, proving that his creative power is inexhaustible.