Geza Schoen was born on 2 March 1969 in Kassel, Germany. By the age of 16, he could distinguish between over 100 fragrances. “I started collecting samples of men’s fragrances, and that was it. After that, there was nothing for me but perfume–and football.”After completing his education, he worked for the celebrated Haarmann & Reimer (now Symrise) for 12 years.

Growing increasingly frustrated with the industry’s corporate constraints, Schoen left to pursue a more independent path. In London, he collaborated with designers Brian Kirkby and Zowie Broach of Boudicca, co-creating their fiercely individual fragrance, Wode. Schoen’s discovery of the expressive potential of Iso E Super led to a radical proposition:two gender-free fragrances, one built around an unprecedented 65% concentration of the molecule, the other composed entirely of it. Intended for “the artists, the freaks, the arcane,” the idea instead sparked a global minimalist movement and the creation of Escentric Molecules, now celebrating its 20-year anniversary.

Geza Schoen should be recognised as Icon of the Year for fundamentally changing the language of modern perfumery. By stripping fragrance back to its molecular core, he challenged tradition, reshaped consumer perception, and expanded scent into culture, art and identity, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the industry worldwide