Edmond Roudnitska


Edmond Roudnitska was a French master perfumer and author. He is known for creating perfumes such as Dior's Eau Sauvage and Diorissimo, and Rochas's Femme. Many of his creations are still in production. He was the father of perfumer Michel Roudnitska.
In 1926, he started his training in perfumery in Grasse. In 1942, he met Thérèse Delveaux, who became his wife. In 1946, he founded Art et Parfum, a private lab for creating perfumes.
Diorissimo, based on lily of the valley, was a notable achievement in the field of perfumery. Unlike rose or jasmine, the smell of lily of the valley cannot be extracted from essential oil of the flower. Roudnitska circumvented the problem by using aroma chemicals like hydroxycitronellal.

For Christian Dior

For Elizabeth Arden

For Hermès

  • Eau d'Hermès
  • Grande Eau d'Hermès
  • Hermes Rouge

For Rochas

  • Femme
  • Mousseline
  • Mouche
  • Moustache
  • La Rose

Other scents

  • Le Parfum de Thérèse ; rights acquired from Roudnitska's wife Thérèse by Frederic Malle, produced from 2000. One of the best chypres with its water fruit accord that was considered way too avant garde and ahead of its time.
  • Ocean Rain Mario Valentino®, a male fragrance for Mario Valentino ; Roudnitska's last creation
  • Cristalle EDT for Chanel, with perfumer Henri Robert.

Published works

  • Edmond Rudnitska. Le Parfum. Collection: Que sais-je?. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France - PUF, 1980.
  • Odile Moréno, René Bourdon, Edmond Roudnitska. L'Intimité du Parfum. Paris: Olivier Perrin, 1974.
  • Edmond Rudnitska. Former les Hommes, Mythe ou Réalité?. Paris: Olivier Perrin, 1975. ASIN B0014MHB8WL'Esthétique en Question: Introduction à une Esthétique de l'Odorat. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France - PUF. ASIN B0014MG4VMUne Vie au Service du Parfum. Paris: Thérèse Vian, 1991.