SENTEURS ET ÉMOTIONS

About the Lecture:
Inspired by the “Proust effect,” the well-documented phenomenon through which scent triggers vivid recollection, Camille Goutal reflects on the aromas that have marked the emotional landscape of her life while continuing the legacy of her mother, Annick Goutal. Her earliest memory is anchored in the scent of coffee and toasted bread on quiet Sunday mornings with her mother, an intimate domestic ritual that reveals how deeply smell can bind memory to place and time. For Goutal, fragrance forms a vocabulary of feeling. The tropical notes of Tiaré flower and monoi oil evoke happiness, while the scent of earthy accords reminds Camille of her Grandfather’s house in Aix-en-Provence after a summer storm. Coconut lotion suggests escape and travel, and herbladen meals recall convivial moments shared with friends. Other scents repel, particularly the odor of urban pollution. At home she favors warm woods and candlelight; in the kitchen, coconut and Thai spices. Above all, the scent she treasures most is the skin of her daughters, a reminder that smell, more than any other sense, anchors memory in the body.

About Camille Goutal:
Perfumer and Co-Founder, Voyages Imaginaires 
Daughter of Annick Goutal

Born in Paris in 1975, Camille Goutal grew up in a family of artists and musicians. After studying the arts (art history, painting, and photography), she worked as a photography assistant for several fashion and interior design magazines in Paris and London (including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and Homes & Gardens). In 1999, following the death of her mother, Annick Goutal, she trained in olfaction under Isabelle Doyen, who had worked with her mother for many years. Passionate about the connection between the visual and the olfactory, she became the artistic director of Maison Goutal, then headed by Brigitte Taittinger, while continuing her work in photography. Isabelle and Camille went on to create numerous fragrances together for the Goutal brand, as well as for other fashion designers, creators, restaurateurs, milliners, and jewelers (such as Bonton, Gas, Naomi Goodsir, and Michel Bras). In 2016, Isabelle and Camille were awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. Their creations have also received numerous awards in France and abroad (including the FiFi Awards and prizes from Elle and Marie Claire). In 2020, they launched their own perfume brand, Voyages Imaginaires, whose creations are made exclusively with natural ingredients, a true creative and olfactory challenge. Through their perfumes, they strive to capture emotions in a bottle and tell stories.

About the Symposium:
The Symposium on the Arts of France, a cultural program of the Alliance Française de Chicago, is a fundraising event providing support for our cultural, educational and outreach programming each year. The Alliance Française is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

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Each in-person program will begin with coffee at 11:00 a.m., lecture at 11:30 a.m., followed by a seated luncheon for Grand Patrons, Patrons and their guests. 

Each online lecture will begin at 11:30 a.m. After registering, you will be provided with a link for access to the lecture via Zoom. 

Individual In-Person Lecture Tickets – $50 Individual Online Lecture Tickets – $30