THE FOUNDERS
Sonia Constant
Senior Perfumer
Very few of today’s perfume houses have been created by women; ELLA K is an exception. Perfumer and creator for the big brands at Givaudan, Sonia Constant pays tribute to assertive women with ELLA K.
« ELLA K is a state of mind. It is a way of looking at the world differently, it is the search for beauty through poetry. It is to dare, to explore, to push back the boundaries and discover who you are. »
Olivier Gagliardi
Co-Founder
Olivier Gagliardi has always been fascinated by everything around him, his curiosity being particularly aroused by travel and photography. Although it was probably inevitable, he knew his life was taking the right direction through some chance encounters. He had the immense joy to cross the paths of adventurers, explorers and travel writers. Since when, a huge part of his inspiration is to be found in the work of such pioneers. And perfume in all this? It seemed inevitable that he would not be able to shake off the family ties that nourished him for so long. Surrounded by perfumers, it was simply natural that he would immerse himself in this particularly magical world. As far back as he can remember, he has always been bewitched by fragrances. With an extensive knowledge of the raw materials, embedded in an unquenchable passion, it is his constantly rejuvenated enthusiasm and courage that gave birth to Ella K.
ELLA K, AN IMAGINARY HEROINE
Ella Maillart, Karen Blixen and Alexandra DavidNeel, three female explorers from another time, have inspired generations of women since their exploits nearly a century ago. ELLA K, our fantasy heroine, is to be counted among such women. Without ever being the incarnation of her creator, she is nonetheless born of her imagination. Freed from the constraints of time and space, she recognises no limits or boundaries to her explorations. She is in ceaseless search of the ultimate interior journey, to meet with strangers and attempt to discover that distant state that exists elsewhere. She is one of those precious souls who love the unknown, without fear or reticence, with no preconceived ideas, and with an unshakeable faith in their instinct. Comforted by the example of her distant precursors, she chooses to write her own history, leaving in her wake the constraints and conventions of others.
Adventure is her religion, Liberty is her extravagance.