Ralf Schwieger

Ralf Schwieger is a German perfumer who grew up in the forests of Westphalia, where his early fascination with elusive scents: trying to smell freshly fallen snow, set the tone for a career defined by airy, cerebral compositions.

He studied fragrance chemistry in Berlin before moving to Grasse to train at the Roure Perfumery School, going on to work at Givaudan and Mane.

His approach to perfumery is conceptual and two-part: first intellectual, then sensory, driven by what he calls 'the dynamic triangle between art, science, and industry.'

His most celebrated work is Hermès Eau des Merveilles (co-created with Nathalie Feisthauer, 2003), a landmark woody-salt fragrance that remains a modern classic.

He has also created Orange Sanguine for Atelier Cologne, Lipstick Rose for Frédéric Malle, Remarkable People for Etat Libre d'Orange (2017, co-created with Cécile Matton), and Womanity for Thierry Mugler.