Thierry Wasser was born in Switzerland. He trained as a botanist before attending perfumery school at Givaudan. In 1993, he went to work for Firmenich.

In 2008, at the age of 47, Wasser was appointed in-house perfumer at Guerlain, where he succeeded Jean-Paul Guerlain. In late 2014, he was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur medal.

Fragrances by Thierry Wasser

A Lab On Fire Sweet Dreams 2003 (2012)
Angel Schlesser Femme
Angel Schlesser Homme (2002)
Bruno Banani Woman (2001)
Calvin Klein Truth (with Jacques Cavallier and Alberto Morillas)
Chopard Pour Homme (2006)
Christian Dior Addict (2002)
Christian Dior Addict Eau Fraiche (2004)
Diesel Fuel for Life for Her (2007, with Annick Menardo)
Fendi Palazzo (2007, with Annick Menardo)
Giorgio Armani Emporio Armani Diamonds (2007)
Gres Caline (2005)
Gres Caline Night (2006)
Guerlain Ambre Éternel (2016)
Guerlain Bouquet de Mai (2012)
Guerlain Bouquet Numéro 1 (2010)
Guerlain Cologne du Parfumeur (2010)
Guerlain Cour des Senteurs Versailles (2013)
Guerlain Encens Mythique d’Orient (2012)
Guerlain Fall Flowers (2017, with Delphine Jelk)
Guerlain Flora Nymphea (2010)
Guerlain Habit Rouge Dress Code (2015)
Guerlain Habit Rouge L'Eau (2011)
Guerlain Homme (2008)
Guerlain Homme L'Eau (2010)
Guerlain Homme L’Eau Boisée (2012)
Guerlain Idylle (2009)
Guerlain Idylle Duet (2011)
Guerlain Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas (2012)
Guerlain Idylle Eau Sublime (2011)
Guerlain Iris Ganache (2007)
Guerlain Jasminora (2011)
Guerlain Joyeuse Tubéreuse (2017, with Delphine Jelk)
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire (2012 version)
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture (2014)
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau Fraîche (2015)
Guerlain Le Frenchy (2017)
Guerlain L’Heure De Nuit (2012)
Guerlain L'Homme Ideal (2014)
Guerlain Limon Verde (2014)
Guerlain Lui (2017)
Guerlain Lys Soleia (2012)
Guerlain Mon Exclusif (2015, with Delphine Jelk)
Guerlain Mon Guerlain (2017, with Delphine Jelk)
Guerlain Musc Noble (2018)
Guerlain Myrrhe et Délires (2012)
Guerlain Nerolia Bianca (2013)
Guerlain Néroli Outrenoir (2016)
Guerlain Oud Essentiel (2017)
Guerlain Parfum du 68 (2013)
Guerlain Place Rouge (2013)
Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie (2007)
Guerlain Rose Nacrée du Désert (2012)
Guerlain Santal Royal (2014)
Guerlain Shalimar Ode à la Vanille (2010)
Guerlain Shalimar Ode à la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique (2013)
Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial (2011)
Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial L’Eau Si Sensuelle (2013)
Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Lumière (2018)
Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Parfum (2014)
Guerlain Shanghai (2012)
Guerlain Songe d’un Bois d’Eté (2012)
Guerlain Teazzurra (2015)
Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum (2014)
Guerlain Tonka Impériale (2010)
Jacques Bogart Furyo (1988, with Ron Winnegrad)
Jil Sander Man (2007, with Annick Menardo)
Jil Sander Man Absolute (2008)
Jil Sander Sport for men (2005, with Nathalie Lorson)
Kylie Minogue Darling (2006)
Kylie Minogue Sweet Darling (2007)
Lancome Hypnose (2005, with Annick Menardo)
Lancome Hypnose Sheer (2007, with Annick Menardo)
Mary Kay Domain (2000)
Miriam Mirani Aqaba
Salvador Dali Salvador Dali Pour Homme (1987)
S-Perfume SLOTH (2003)

Selected quotes

And I was so overjoyed to be offered this wonderful job that I wanted to shout with joy. So that’s where I started with this scent. I wanted to scream love with a fragrance. — On Guerlain Idylle, from Guerlain’s inhouse perfumer Thierry Wasser visits Canada at Cosmetics magazine.

It’s a very prestigious position but I still work with Jean Paul Guerlain – he is the gate keeper at Guerlain. He has created magnificent fragrances for the last 50 years so it’s an esteemed position to take up. [...] We are very involved as a team. Monsieur Guerlain is a very romantic person – he created fragrances with his heart and the story was then built around it, which is the opposite way to how marketing works today. Ideally I want to continue this. — From On the nose at Cosmetics Business.

If you look at bergamot, it has no gender, Smell has no gender, so it could be men’s or women’s. For example, bergamot is the top note of both Shalimar and Guerlain Homme, because citrus is used to make nice, fresh top notes... If you put bergamot with dry notes and aromatic woods, but if you mix it with rose oil and vanilla, well people would tend to say it is feminine, but that’s very conventional, and why wouldn’t a man wear a sweet rose? — From Scent of a man at The National.

Further reading

See all articles at Now Smell This tagged Thierry Wasser.

Read Jean-Paul Guerlain and Thierry Wasser at Wallpaper.