Career: from Seville to Firmenich
Born in Seville in 1950, Alberto Morillas grew up in Geneva. He joined Firmenich, the Geneva-based fragrance house, in the early 1970s and spent most of his career there. For years his name meant nothing to the public, like that of most perfumers who compose for brands. Then came the 1990s and two scents that changed the landscape: CK One in 1994, co-written with Harry Frémont, and Acqua di Gio in 1996. Commissions followed for Kenzo and Gucci, then Marc Jacobs and Versace. Most of them were fresh, bright scents aimed at a wide audience. He also founded his own house, Mizensir. Our view: few perfumers have shaped the everyday smell of bathrooms and locker rooms as much. His career shows that a well-written mainstream perfume can still be a reference thirty years on.
Style: the art of clean
Almost every perfume on this page rests on musk. You find it at the base of CK One, Acqua di Gio and Daisy, and Mugler Cologne has little else underneath. Morillas uses it to create a washed-skin feeling that outlasts the citrus opening. The other constant is bergamot up top, with low or moderate intensity: nothing in this selection goes above 4 out of 5. That style has a cost. Many of his creations are called too discreet or too common, and CK One and Daisy fade fast. When he adds shadow, though, the scale changes. Acqua di Giò Profumo puts incense and patchouli under the sea, and Dylan Blue does the same with incense and saffron. For women he prefers see-through flowers: wet peony in Pleasures, powdery violet in Flower by Kenzo.
