Most perfumers mix scents. Yann Vasnier, a student of mathematics and architecture obsessive, builds them. He’s behind many signature fragrances, including an entry in Valentino Beauty’s coveted Anatomy of Dreams series. Vasnier constructed the velvety and floral-packed Amour sans détour with Olivier Gillotin.
What keeps you up at night?
Anything linked to new concepts, ideas, and inspirations. That’s the most exciting part of my job: the moment a project begins. I live for that creative fire. Sometimes I end up waking up writing a poem or a song I just dreamed of, something that morphs into the story of a perfume later.
What question do you ask yourself most often while you’re making work?
How do I balance beauty and performance? Originality versus wearability? Art versus business? That duality is constant. Finding harmony between them is a really tricky alchemy. For Amour sans détour, we asked ourselves how to express intimacy and authenticity through a refined, elegant structure. We found that balance between the earthy facet of the violet leaves, the delicacy of its flower, and the softness and raw sensuality of leather.
What’s one work of art that got you through an important moment in your life?
Name an influence of yours that might surprise people.
Old school house music, electronic, techno vibes waking me up and energizing me in the morning.
What do you want to see more of in your industry? Less of?
Maybe more originality, more fearless ideas beyond conventions and predictable ideas. Go bolder with concepts, packaging, experiences.
When’s the last time you laughed hysterically?
Almost every day. I have always been drawn to intelligent and funny people. I couldn’t live without them.
What would you like the headline of your obituary to be?
Chandler Burr, the former New York Times journalist, once described me as “Yann Vasnier is less and more than meets the eye.” I’ve always liked that line. Or it could also be “My feet firmly on the ground and my head forever in the stars” (“Les pieds sur Terre, la tête dans les étoiles” in French).
What would you be doing if you weren’t working in your field?
Architecture or sculpture. Something that plays with construction, art, technique, science and innovation.
What grounds you, and what invigorates you?
The ocean, the dunes, the forest, nature keeps me centered. My old friends and family anchor me. But electronic, house, techno music, and loads of coffee energize and set the rhythm for my mornings, the pulse for my day.
To read more from the 2026 CULT100 honorees, see the full list here.
in your life?
