Art meets perfume in cross-disciplinary fragrance series Nez 1+1

What happens when an artist and a perfumer are given the freedom to develop a perfume together? What would the overlap of their creative universes smell like? And what would it be like to be a fly on the wall for this process? With her olfactory project Nez 1+1, Jeanne Doré, founder and editor-in-chief of the perfume revue Nez (‘nose’ in French) looks to unveil exactly that: by matchmaking a chef, musician, artist or other creative with a renowned perfumer, Nez 1+1 explores the limitless world of fragrance innovation, while unveiling the ins and outs of the development process to the public.

After years of running the cult online blog, Au Parfum, Doré founded the physical revue Nez, which opens the complex world of perfume to a larger audience via a multidisciplinary approach. ‘Once you start to be interested in fragrance, you discover very quickly that it’s also about arts, science, history – all these worlds you have to go through,’ she explains. ‘It’s about opening up the industry as a cultural and creative subject, not just a luxury business.’ So, to further materialise the world of perfumes as a creative realm, she launched Nez 1+1, an ongoing series of limited-edition fragrances.

Viewing perfumery, at its heart, as an act of translation, Doré decided to work with creatives from wide-ranging disciplines to explore how different artistic practices can be interpreted via scent. For example, Paris-based chef Akrame Benallal, known for his avant-garde cooking involving all five senses, worked in collaboration with perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin, the nose behind several fragrances for the likes of Diptyque and Hermès, to create a fragrance called Adorem.

For another perfume, named Amoressence, perfumer Nicolas Beaulieu teamed up with sculptor Jeanne Vicerial, where the latter’s larger-than-life sculptures of gorgons and female anatomies, each woven from a single thread, were interpreted into scent. ‘Each artist shares what they want to be translated, but the perfumer is also the creator – it’s ultimately their interpretation of the artist’s stories or memories,’ says Doré. ‘It’s the crossroads of two people, two universes.’

Ansongo, a new scent for Nez 1+1 by Aïssa Maïga and Dora Baghriche

The first meetings between the two creators of each fragrance are always to discover each of their respective worlds. Nez 1+1’s latest duo in residence are French-Senegalese actor, director and producer Aïssa Maïga – known for her roles in films such as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) by director Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mood Indigo (2013), directed by Michel Gondry – and perfumer Dora Baghriche, who have worked together to produce Ansongo, released in June 2025.

‘The collaboration was sparked by a mutual acquaintance, Ammin Youssouf, the co-founder of The Colors, an agency specialising in the fast-growing multicultural beauty market,’ says Doré. ‘He was aware of Aïssa’s keen interest in fragrances and felt she would be an ideal fit for this project. We organised an initial meeting with Dora, and they clicked immediately.

‘This part of the process is magic. When the artist visits the laboratory, they are like children, discovering all these bottles of essential oils and different raw materials,’ Doré laughs. ‘But for the perfumer as well, it’s like a playground, as they can experiment freely in a way that they wouldn’t be able to in larger commercial projects.’ If the Nez team is there throughout the process, it’s simply to guide ideas – and to record their podcast of the same name. ‘The podcast allows the wearer to be a little mouse listening in on how their scent was created, from the first ideas to when the artist chooses the final fragrance.’

Each Nez 1+1 perfume is available in a limited edition, accompanied by a detailed booklet explaining the partnership behind it and the final formula. But if the availability of the perfume is limited, the relationships formed during the project are often ongoing.

‘With Aïssa and Dora, we had a hunch they’d get along well. But the connection has surpassed our expectations,’ continues Doré. ‘They share a genuinely joyful and amicable nature. As a perfumer, Dora is deeply receptive to other creative disciplines, particularly literature. She approaches her work with great sensitivity and eclecticism. We see this reflected in Ansongo, which is decidedly earthy, spicy, yet also fruity with a highly original date note, inspired by the distinctive fruit of the doum palm tree, which held strong memories for Aïssa from family holidays spent in Mali as a child. Despite Dora developing several variations of the initial attempt, Aïssa consistently favoured the very first one, valuing its powerful character. It’s an unforgettable scent.’

Ansongo by Dora Baghriche and Aïssa Maïga for Nez 1+1, €35 at shop.bynez.com