Fine Fragrance: Meet Alberto Morillas

Biography

After decades of unwavering passion for the craft of perfumery, Alberto’s ideas continue to stand out. His extraordinary journey is alive in his intricately designed, legendary body of creations. It is certainly no surprise that Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas was the very first perfumer honored by the Fragrance Foundation’s with the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award. His life-long partnership with research and development chemists and encyclopedic knowledge of perfume history allow him to fuse innovative natural techniques with breakthrough synthetic molecules, many of which he helped bring to life , to create true works of art. Humbly, he notes that he still has doubts. “Even when we’ve learned everything there is to know, there is always doubt. A formula is like a well-written sentence: there are thousands of beautiful words from which to choose, but what makes it impactful, is the emotion with which they are brought together.”

Raised in Seville, Alberto was encouraged to develop and explore his inquisitive nature. The patio of his childhood home captured scents like a fragrance bottle. Young Alberto would revel in the scents of the well, of medlar trees, clean laundry and jasmine from their lush, beautiful garden. At the epicenter of his holidays was the ocean. Memories of sea breezes, the unforgettable smell of the Atlantic, and the mysterious secrets of the sea still move him.

Much of Alberto’s inspiration comes from being surrounded by his ingredients, and he couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. Having always looked to the future, “maybe too much! ”, he admits that he doesn’t get much sleep. There’s too much to do, too much inspiration to gather, from strolling through his beloved garden to observing tigers in India. Nothing stops a true creative mind, not even the day’s end.