I don’t know how to really explain this, but I touch the texture with my eye, whether its silk or leather of cashmere. For example, in my building, I work on the second floor and on the ground floor we have the stock for the men’s collection, and very often I go alone to the atelier to touch and smell the fabrics. They have a special sensuality, and when I talk about my perfume I often use words related to the clothing, like round, straight, soft, tough.

— Perfumer Christine Nagel talks about synesthesia and her approach to perfumery. Read more at Inside the Atelier of an Hermès Perfumer Who Can Smell and Taste Color at Architectural Digest.