Mark Buxton
Mark Buxton is a legend in the world of perfumery, renowned for his avant-garde approach and artistic sensibilities. With a career spanning over three decades, he is known for his olfactive creations for Comme des Garçons, Le:Labo, Karl Lagerfeld, and Givenchy, among others.
Buxton was born in England but relocated to Germany at the age of 8, where his parents opened a restaurant. Buxton’s journey into perfumery began at age 21, when he and a friend applied to be on German to show, “Wetten, dass…?”, which means “I bet that…”. Contestants ‘make a bet’ against the TV show, and the duo made the bet that they could identify all the perfumes in the world by scent alone.
The pair spent six weeks sampling as many fragrances as possible. On the day of the show, Buxton smelled and identified 5 random fragrances, however, his friend froze and was unable to identify any. Despite losing the bet, Buxton was subsequently offered a job at Haarmann & Reimer fragrance producers (now Symrise). Buxton relocated to Paris to work in the fine fragrance department, where he became a junior perfumer and later qualified as a perfumer.
Despite his achievements and acclaim, Buxton remains refreshingly down-to-earth and passionate about his work. He continues to push the boundaries of perfumery, constantly seeking new challenges and inspirations. In an industry often characterised by trends and commercialism, Buxton’s unwavering commitment to artistic integrity sets him apart as a true visionary in the world of fragrance.