Marie-Jeanne Combredet, a journey of a thousand scents

Born in Casablanca

Born in Casablanca, where she spent much of her childhood, Marie-Jeanne fell in love with Morocco from an early age. She fondly recalls family vacations on the beach at Bouznika, deeply moved; she holds wonderful memories of the first decade of her life in her adopted country. Yet, while still a child, she left Casablanca to follow her parents. Black Africa, the United States, Switzerland, then France, other horizons then opened up to her, distancing her from the landscapes of the Maghreb for a while

Discovering Marrakech

It would take years before the young woman would return to Morocco, on a vacation. That's when she discovered Marrakech, her second city of the heart. The ambiance of the souks deeply touched her: the scents and colors of this unparalleled space would revolutionize her life and her career. Indeed, in 2007, she decided to settle in the ochre city to open her shop “Berber heritage
”.

She left her perfume business based in France to try her luck in the country of her childhood. She settled near the Majorelle Garden, a place she particularly cherishes. Marie-Jeanne is indeed very attached to the nature and environment around her. It inspires her in her creations and soothes her in everyday life. She tells me that her favorite landscapes in this country are “the lakes and the arid landscapes”, which she finds particularly magnificent. 

Her travels, a true source of inspiration 

All these places and their smells help her create high-quality, long-lasting products she offers in the two shops she owns in town. She explains that she tries to use as many natural materials as possible to best preserve the scents of these unique places. Many hotels, shops, and individuals also ask her to create ambient fragrances (scented candles, etc.), and over the years, Marie-Jeanne has made it a specialty. But the creator also explores other horizons for her creations: she tells me about her trips to Thailand and India, which particularly marked her.

These journeys abroad have been a great source of inspiration. Her favorite smell being that of spices of all kinds (cinnamon, ginger, etc.), these lands introduced her to new scents and tastes, which she wanted to incorporate into her recent creations. She will also launch a new line (“Berbèressence”) in September this year, very colorful and strongly inspired by her journey. And if Marie-Jeanne loves to travel so much, she also includes abroad in her activity: she exports her products to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.

When I ask her what now awaits her after so much journey, Marie-Jeanne explains that she would like her son to take over the torch and continue her activity. “Always moving forward,” that's her philosophy. I thank her for her availability, and the lady smiles, happy to have shared with me her memories and projects.