- Ron Winnegrad Perfumer:
Company:IFF
Web:iff.com
Ron Winnegrad, a Brooklyn-born and -bred perfumer and educator with over 46 years of experience, has dedicated his illustrious career to translating the world around him into a vibrant spectrum of olfactory and emotional narratives. As an educator, he has shared his multisensory perspective, inspiring others to delve into the art of fragrance with renewed curiosity.
Winnegrad rose to prominence in the 1970s with iconic creations likeLove's Baby SoftandLagerfeld Classic. His portfolio of successful fragrances spans decades, includingBalenciaga Rumba,Giorgio Armani Armani, andClinique Simply Clinique. As Director of the New York perfumery school at International Flavors & Fragrances, he has trained generations of perfumers and fragrance evaluators, leaving an enduring legacy in the industry.
Eschewing traditional perfumery pedagogy, Winnegrad developed a revolutionary teaching method to help students identify scents. He created a metaphorical "map" of "cities" and "streets"—a flowchart guiding learners through olfactory decisions that culminate in base notes like amber, oakmoss, or musk. His mantra,"Don’t Think, Just Smell", urges students to trust their intuition and sensory memory when exploring aromas.
His workshops on synesthesia— a neurological phenomenon where one sensory experience triggers another—further exemplify his innovative approach. As a tone-deaf individual who couldn’t relate to perfumery’s musical analogies, Winnegrad began associating scents with colors, awakening neural pathways that deepened his understanding of fragrance.
To hone olfactory skills, Winnegrad recommends structured smelling drills: short, shallow sniffs of scents in jars at 30-minute intervals to avoid nasal fatigue. He also encourages daily scent mindfulness—smelling food before eating, noting the aromas of different environments—to train the nose naturally.
Through his visionary approach to fragrance creation and unwavering commitment to education, Ron Winnegrad has reshaped the perfumery landscape. By merging synesthetic exploration with intuitive practice, he has empowered a new generation of perfumers, ensuring his impact on the industry remains timeless.
