Over the past decade, Loewe has transformed from a dormant Spanish heritage brand into one of the world’s most relevant luxury houses. This is largely thanks to its creative director, Jonathan Anderson, and the many ways in which he has revitalised the house’s fashion business, with mesmerising runway shows in Paris, a growing range of accessories and a commitment to artisanal production. 

Now, customers are equally excited about discovering the brand’s perfume and home-scent collections. Driving the momentum is Nuria Cruelles, the nose behind Loewe Perfumes. Cruelles, who also trained as an oenologist, grew up smelling the delicate floral notes of Loewe Aire on many women in her native Spain. Today, she has been working to give the brand’s original perfumes a new lease of life, as well as creating fresh hits. Much like Anderson, she has a flair for rule-breaking and is known to experiment with the most unconventional ingredients. She tells monocle about the new formulas that she has been concocting and explains how she created one of the most sought-after home fragrance lines using nothing but the humble ingredients in her kitchen.

What drew you to the world of perfumery?
As a child, I always found myself trying to guess what perfumes people were wearing. Over time, it became an obsession. I started by studying chemistry because being a perfumer is all about blending different ingredients and understanding chemical reactions. A perfume is alive. I spent some time travelling around Europe and, when I returned to Spain, Loewe called. It’s a dream to work for the only luxury Spanish brand.

What does Loewe and the global recognition that it has received in the past decade mean for Spain?
We’re all so proud. Through Loewe, we can show the world who we are, what we can do and the crafts that we specialise in. That’s why we want to highlight ingredients from Spain in our perfumes. 

Tell us about the new collection that you have been working on and its ties to Spain.
The idea was about having a single ingredient define a whole collection. We began by thinking about Spain and how to incorporate more of our values in the perfumes. The country is easily associated with the Mediterranean and aromatic scents but we wanted something even more special so we used rockrose from the south of Spain. It’s a very rustic, balsamic odour. It’s like discovering a rough diamond and having to polish it. When we are distilling it, we choose the cleaner, fresher facets of the ingredient to tailor it to our needs. We turned it into something sophisticated. It’s like gastronomy – a chef can take a few basic elements and create art. 

Do you try to keep a dialogue going between the fashion and perfume sectors of the business?
Jonathan Anderson has always respected my expertise and what I can bring to the table. At the same time, his collections inspire us: the shapes, the colours and the textures of the clothes that you see on the runway all inform the perfumes. 

Was the process of creating home scents very different to the way that you create perfumes?
We wanted to ensure a point of differentiation between the two. I wanted to use singular elements: the leaves of tomatoes, beetroot, cucumber. Translating this type of formula into candles that smell good when you burn them requires real skill. It’s like architecture: the simplest structures are usually the most complex.

What scents would you recommend for different moments at home?
For relaxing in a bath, try the oregano line – it’s calming, like lavender. If you’re hosting a dinner, go for one of the tomato, cucumber or sweet-pea candles, something that matches the food. For the bedroom, I recommend our wasabi candle and the honeysuckle room spray. 

Do broader market trends influence your work?
We want to be trendy but we don’t follow trends. The key is to choose an ingredient and work around it. Dress it up and use it to create different textures and feelings. The perfume talks to you and it will tell you what it needs. You just need to listen. 

Could you tell us about the day-to-day process of creating new formulas?
To create, you need peace and time. That’s why I recently decided to move from the centre of Barcelona to the countryside. Now I grow tomatoes in my backyard. I wake up every morning to water them and I’m always walking barefoot with my children. You might smell the soil after the rain, along with some patchouli or magnolias that happen to be behind you, and you immediately get inspired. If certain smells work together in nature, I try them in the laboratory.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to find their signature scent?
At Loewe, we offer a rainbow of options so you can choose different ones for different occasions. You can also combine them and create your own essence. Everyone can be an alchemist.
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