Michael Anthony Edwards (10 December 1943) is a

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fragrance An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently ...

taxonomist, historian, and founding editor of '' Fragrances of the World'', the largest guide to perfume classification. His lectures and writings, including the book ''Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances'', pioneered critical scholarship on the history of perfumery, while his fragrance wheel marked a major innovation in perfume retail. He resides in Australia, France, and the United States.

Early life and career

Michael Edwards was born on 10 December 1943 in Zomba,

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(present-day

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). After attending school in the

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and

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, he briefly studied biochemistry at the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

before accepting a marketing job in London at the

Beecham Group The Beecham Group plc was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with American pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beckman to become SmithKline Beecham, merged with Glaxo We ...

, specializing in toiletries. Edwards later moved to Paris to join

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as the international marketing director for

Halston Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer who rose to international fame in the 1970s. His minimalist, clean designs, often made of cashmere or ultrasuede, were ...

Publication of ''Fragrances of the World''

By 1984, Michael Edwards, then working in Sydney, was aware of the need for a guide to help retailers suggest perfumes to consumers. That year, Edwards independently published ''The Fragrance Manual'', the first retailer’s guide to fragrance classification. The manual proved a success, going through several editions, and was expanded at the request of

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, first to include American fragrances, followed by men's fragrances and niche brands. The 1992 edition of ''The Fragrance Manual'' was the first to feature a " fragrance wheel". This annular taxonomy organized fragrance families in relation to one another, showing their interchange, a system better suited to retail than the linear, sectional genealogy used in previous editions. It was widely adopted in the industry. Renamed ''Fragrances of the World'' in 2000 and published annually, Edwards’ guide has become an authoritative reference in the fragrance industry, colloquially termed the 'Fragrance Bible'. Its online database, updated weekly, archives profiles of over 16,000 fragrances.

Publication of ''Perfume Legends''

In 1990, Michael Edwards proposed to perfumer Guy Robert, president of the French Society of Perfumers, the creation of a book detailing the history of French feminine perfume, drawing from interviews to be held with famous perfumers. This was to be a novel effort, as perfumers rarely discussed their work publicly, instead preferring the secrecy traditional to the fragrance industry. Robert agreed to lend his support, becoming, alongside perfumer

Edmond Roudnitska Edmond Roudnitska (1905–1996) was a French master perfumer and author. He is known for creating perfumes such as Dior's Eau Sauvage and Diorissimo, and Rochas's Femme. Many of his creations are still in production. He was the father of perfu ...

, a key advocate on Edwards’ behalf. Over the course of six years, Edwards interviewed some 150 perfumers, couturiers, bottle designers, and industry executives, while gaining unprecedented access to private and corporate archives. The resulting book was titled ''Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances''.

References

External links

''Fragrances of the World'' - Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Michael 1943 births Living people British writers

Early life and career

Publication of ''Fragrances of the World''

Publication of ''Perfume Legends''

See also

References

External links