Modernizing the Art of Perfumery with Sue Nabi and Nicolas Vu

Infiniment Coty Paris has a clear recipe for success. Begin with a heritage brand containing 120 years of tailored French perfumery. Add in Sue Nabi, with 20 years of experience at L’Oréal before becoming the CEO of the wider Coty brand. Mix in an idea to revolutionize the fragrance industry with innovative technology.

Developed alongside friend and co-founder Nicolas Vu, the team imagined how the beauty industry could be moved into the next stage of modernization. This sparked both the idea for a high-end vegan biotech skincare brand Orveda, launched in 2014, and Infiniment Coty Paris.

What changes have you noticed in perfumery and how people utilize fragrances throughout your career? 

SN For decades, perfumery had been seen as a form of mind or soul enhancement (such as incense) before becoming a way to cover body odor, then subsequently evolving into a luxury item. In the 1990s, multinational corporations from the world of soaps and detergents started to acquire famous fragrance names and applying the rules of the soap industry: easy to wear juices. More money was also being invested in advertising campaigns and activities. This, in turn, triggered a “counterculture” focused on niche perfumes that emphasize quality juices and artisan-like boutiques for fragrance connoisseurs.

In the past two years, we have observed that younger consumers increasingly crave authentic interactions, dynamic storytelling and products that empower their ability to express themselves. These rising forms of self-expression intersected with the rise of the niche fragrance industry, creating a new generation of “fragrance influencers.” In a way, it seems like we are going back to the beginning of the 20^th century, with an emphasis on luxury artisanship, but with a marked difference of the global reach and impact of social media.

Is your starting point for a perfume visual, sensory or neither?

SN Our starting point is always “visual” in nature, with the scent bringing back visceral moments in space and time. Each scent reminds me of a significant moment or memory in my life. For example, Soleil d’Ikosim reminds me of the scents of my early childhood years in Algiers. The garden of my family house was full of orange blossom trees and this beautiful, scented landscape remains unforgettable. Thirty years later, the scent still never fails to bring me back to that specific space and time. In a way, a scent or a fragrance allows you to do what every sci-fi author dreams to do: travel back in time!

You have perfumes made for three different times of the day. Is this a new frontier for how people might approach wearing perfumes? 

SN Yes. This was inspired by how Nicolas [Vu] uses fragrances since he was young: he likes strong fragrances that leave a soft trail. I come from North Africa, and I like strong fragrances that leave a stronger, lasting trail and impression. Other people may prefer fragrances that last longer, but do not necessarily leave a trail behind. These are often known as “second skin” scents. With this collection, we wanted to give people the option to select fragrances that complement and empower their preferences.

You’ve innovated perfumery with this new technology ‘molecule aura’. Can you explain it in a simplified way? 

SN The molecular aura is an exclusive patent-pending technology that has been introduced into each perfume of the Infiniment Coty Paris collection. The molecule aura controls the evaporation of olfactory molecules, releasing these gradually throughout the day and extending the fragrance’s depth by up to 30 hours.

Scent is such a powerful memory recall. Do you have a ‘Proust Madeleine’ experience when it comes to fragrance?

SN I have had many. You are aware of the Soleil d’Ikosim madeleine de Proust effect. Noir Encens is another madeleine de Proust. It reminds me of my 20s, which were in the 1980s. I call this period my “new wave years.” Spandau Ballet, The Blitz, all these names, music and places had a distinctive scent and for me, it smelled like Noir Encens. Encore une Fois, already considered by some experts as an amber vanilla masterpiece and created with master perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin, is also a madeleine de Proust for both Nicolas and me.

 What’s your approach to creating an innovative business in such a traditional culture like France? 

SN Both Nicolas and I are a mix of many cultures: French, North African, and Vietnamese. We are people from somewhere who love to be everywhere. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. We’re deeply rooted, yet lovers of exploration. In some areas we like to take our time, because only what takes time is respected by time. This is the case of the scents that took us more than seven years to develop, finesse, and fine tune, one facet at a time. On other things, we like to go faster. For example, the Infiniment Coty Paris boutique on Rue des Blanc Manteaux was designed in just a few weeks. This is logical since it represents a physical crystallization of what the brand stands for, which usually appears late in the development process. I love to say, “Take your time patiently creating the small pieces, and the big picture will assemble naturally at the end, by itself.”

What role has perfume played in the development of yourself and identity?

 SN A defining role. A way to explore the fluidity of gender for example. Entre Genres, the encounter of three musks that almost form an “essence of cloud” captured in a bottle, is a tribute to this.

Nicolas Vu Coming from a warm and botanicals rich country, the smell of moss, patchouli woods, flowers, has always been a part of my daily life. Aristo Chypre, my signature scent for the past seven years, is the perfect olfactive illustration of these exotic smells, in a very chic aristocratic note.

Who is your Mastermind?

SN I admire people who are trailblazers, who want to spearhead change and impact in areas that ignite their passions. In life, you have to choose – either you are a fan, or you are the one who creates what does not exist.

NV I admire my mother who came from Vietnam to France in the seventies and raised me.