Born in 1972 in Saigon, Vietnam, Loc Dong's remarkable journey from a rural village healer’s apprentice to a master perfumer at Symrise is a story of resilience, transformation, and creative brilliance. As a boy, he lived 30 kilometers north of the city, where he learned the secrets of medicinal plants and herbs from his grandfather, a respected herbalist. These early lessons—sorting and identifying botanicals by scent—formed the foundation of a powerful olfactory memory that would one day shape his signature as a perfumer. At the age of eleven, Loc left Vietnam alone, escaping by boat. After a period in a Malaysian refugee camp, he eventually reached the United States, where he initially dreamed of becoming a doctor. But a fateful encounter with a perfumer changed his life forever. Offered a rare opportunity to train in Holzminden, Germany, he embraced the chance with unwavering determination. Supported and mentored by some of perfumery’s greatest figures—Dominique Ropion, Sophia Grojsman, and Carlos Benaïm—Loc found his calling. He began his formal fragrance career in 1992 at Haarmann & Reimer (now part of Symrise), marking the start of what would become an influential path in fine perfumery. In 2001, he created the first Marc Jacobs perfume, and the following year, he joined IFF in New York. Over the next two decades, he became one of IFF’s most respected senior perfumers, eventually working between New York and Paris, where he continued to expand his global influence. In 2023, Loc Dong returned to his roots—rejoining Symrise as a Master Perfumer within the Fine Fragrance division, contributing to both the New York and Paris creative centers. For Loc, this new chapter represents a full-circle moment: "Every ten years, a new cycle presents itself to me. My return to Symrise is part of these new pages for me to explore. The only thing to do is accept these sorts of opportunities." Loc Dong’s creations are deeply informed by his heritage and life experiences. He draws from traditional Vietnamese remedies, his extensive travels, and the emotional tensions of modern life. “I’m a survivor more than an artist,” he often says, crediting his enduring success to perseverance rather than talent alone. His formulas, inspired by both memory and modernity, often balance contrasting elements—capturing intensity, vulnerability, and refinement in a single breath. His iconic compositions include Euphoria (2005) and Euphoria EDT (2023) for Calvin Klein, Acqua di Gioia by Giorgio Armani, Manifesto by Yves Saint Laurent, Arizona by Proenza Schouler, Wanted Girl by Azzaro, CK IN2U for Her, and Olympéa by Paco Rabanne. He is also behind notable works like Dream Bright Eau de Parfum for Bath & Body Works, Dancing on the Moon for Maison Margiela’s Replica line, and The Remarkable Success of Mr. Harrod by Penhaligon’s. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with an extraordinary list of brands, including Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Elizabeth Arden, Hugo Boss, Mariah Carey, Vera Wang, Natura, O Boticário, Taylor Swift, Avon, Perry Ellis, S.T. Dupont, The Body Shop, and many more. Loc Dong remains a trailblazer—the first Asian fine fragrance perfumer to break into the global elite. His story is a tribute to courage and adaptation, and his fragrances serve as emotional bridges between worlds, blending ancestral wisdom with contemporary sensibility in every drop.