Hugo Ferroux on creativity and cult brand building at Trudon

Hugo Ferroux has had the kind of professional experience most of us can only dream of. Born in Chambéry, France, he found his way into luxury via magazines, going on to study fashion before working as an assistant at Mugler. He eventually moved to Saint Laurent as head of design, working under industry legend Anthony Vaccarello (a tenure he says taught him to ‘dream big’).

In 2026, he was appointed creative director at Trudon; a French candle maker known as the oldest in the world. Trudon was established by Claude Trudon in 1643 on Rue Saint Honoré, Paris. The house went on to supply the royal family and Imperial court. To this day, it’s a cult brand and enduring symbol of luxury. What’s it like to helm a brand with 300 years of heritage but contemporary appeal? For Ferroux it’s about not following a formula, consistency, honouring craftsmanship and viewing fragrance as a tangible, emotional choice.

 

Tell me, what introduced you to fashion and luxury – was there a defining person or a moment?

A friend of my parents would bring all these magazines over on the weekends and I’d spend Sundays looking at the pictures of Gianni Versace or Valentino’s fashion shows, their houses in Como, Miami or Gstaad. They seemed so free, living life entirely on their own terms and creating their own vision of beauty. To me, it felt like such an inspiring path to explore.

Then I discovered the world of luxury in greater depth: craftsmanship, heritage, legacy and more. The meticulous attention to every detail, and all the connections between history, art, and other disciplines. It’s an industry that called to me, and one I felt deeply connected to from a very early age.

 

On the topic of luxury, you spent over a decade at Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello, not to mention your early experience at Mugler. How did those formative years shape the way you think about building a brand, particularly the balance between image, emotion and desire?

It was extraordinary to be able to look up to the process of things. My years at Saint Laurent had a huge impact on the way I see things today but there’s no formula; I guess you do what you feel is right on the moment, applying things you witnessed and listening to your instinct.

 

The best takeaway that came from your time with Anthony?

Dream big.

 

What does luxury mean to you; how do you personally define it?

It’s an experience, above anything.

 

What drew you to Trudon? What did the move from fashion into fragrance and interiors represent creatively for you?

Even though I began my career in fashion, looking back, I have always been drawn to the world of fragrance.
As a child, I was fascinated by perfume bottles, and as I grew older, the scents around me always held great importance.
Becoming the artistic director of a three-hundred-year-old Maison – bringing together the worlds of craftsmanship, design and fragrance – is incredibly fulfilling.

 

 

Trudon’s history dates back to 1643; how do you evolve a house without losing the integrity that made it iconic?

The Maison has managed to endure through the years while continually reinventing itself. My intention is not to revolutionise it, but to continue anchoring it in the modernity it embraces. It’s about enduring, bringing a new energy, connect new cables and create opportunities.

 

Trudon has a cult-like following. Do you think that kind of consumer devotion is something you can engineer? What’s your take?

I think Trudon has had a very strong identity from day one and was revamped at a time when the market was not so overcrowded.

Being consistent in terms of quality and identity from the start helped the Maison to be and remain THE reference in the world of candles. Trudon is not a trend; It’s a classic you always go back to – everything has a story and a meaning. I think there is a sense of generosity that consumers perceive.

 

Scent operates on a deeply emotional level. How does that shape the way you approach developing a fragrance versus a more visual category, like fashion?

I don’t think I envision things differently for both. You create and associate memories with a perfume as much as with a jumper. Plus I kinda of think of a perfume as visual – a scent evolves and wraps itself around you – it adds to your vocabulary – as much as a garment. It might not be visual for the people around you, but it is to you.

 

 

Your first collection, Figuerie, draws on the story of Louis XIV’s greenhouse at Versailles. How do you think about translating something historical into a contemporary sensory experience?

Scents are timeless in my mind. I’m not thinking about being contemporary. Two people wearing the same vintage perfume can turn it either into something terribly old or daring and cool. The wearer and their charisma give a fragrance its identity.

I think of Trudon as a heritage house where history and narrative are deeply rooted into every creation, so this is always the starting point. But what I try to focus on is instant desire; I’m thinking about how to trigger interest. Because at the end of the day, the customer might be alone in the department store, not knowing anything about the story behind it… the scent has to work on its own. Even I, in the end, forget about the story and enjoy the scent purely as it is. When I light Figuerie at home, I’m just obsessed with the uniqueness and boldness of it.

 

You’ve also reworked retail concepts, including the New York boutique. How do you approach translating the Trudon brand into a physical space?

New York store was thought as an experience… sort of. It was about bringing the focus on the brand, shaking things a little. We are still working on the new concept for all the stores; it must immediately read as Trudon, combining timeless heritage with sophistication and a confident edge.

 

 

What does real authenticity look like to you today in the context of luxury fragrance, especially now at the height of dupe culture?

I guess the human touch and the quality of raw materials? I think luxury is about the experience a brand gives you throughout the discovery and purchase process, as well as the ethics behind the product you’re buying. Undeniably, everything is reproducible for less money, but I’d personally rather buy less – respecting the people who produce it and the planet – than a dupe.

 

What is your personal favourite scent, across either the personal or home categories?

Cire and Figuerie ex-aequo.

 

What candle do you currently have burning at home?

The next new one…

 

In your opinion, what is the best smell in the world?

Any kind of incense.

 

What is the most interesting fact you’ve learned about fragrance?

Every week I learn about new ingredients or techniques to encapsulate them, but what fascinates me most are all the little details we pay attention to so that the experience you have with your candle or your perfume is at its best. I would have never guessed or noticed as a consumer, but it’s fascinating.

 

If you could shift one thing about how we define or talk about luxury today, what would it be?

Make it quieter but keep the product loud.

 

And finally, what’s inspiring you right now?

Chaos. I came back from Cairo two weeks ago; pure mess, raw beauty, decay. I had not felt so alive in a long time.

 

Trudon Figuerie Classic Candle

Images: @hugoferroux, courtesy of Trudon.