Perfumier Céline Barel opens up about the process behind Aesop’s new perfume Aurner – a “defiant” floral inspired by Lilac Wine and the ancient female poet Li Qingzhao
Aesop is arguably best known for its scents. From its heady, herbaceous body scrubs to its enlivening hand balms, the Melbourne-born brand has established itself as a pioneer of modern fragrance-making, creating an abundance of wonders from nature’s seeds, soils, plants and bark. As a result, when Aesop decides to release a new perfume – there have been 12 in total, released in a steady drip since 2005 – there’s always a great deal of anticipation. Each one feels like its own world: there’s Marrakech Intense, for example, which takes you on an intoxicating stroll through the souks of Morocco; Eidesis, a dreamy, sylvan tribute to the myth of Narcissus; or Tacit, a warm, transportive reimagining of the 60s, inspired by Serge Gainsbourg and Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love.
Its latest perfume, released this week, is Aurner; a “defiant bloom” that aims to subvert ideas of what a floral fragrance can be. Created with long-time Aesop collaborator Céline Barel – known for her work on the best-selling Tacit – it is a genderless, “tea-like” scent, blending magnolia leaf, cedar heart and chamomile. The initial brief, Barel admits, was a challenge. “It was out of the question to create a pure, romantic floral fragrance,” she tells AnOther. Instead, it was about building a bold floral fragrance “that would also appeal to men”. After two years of careful, intensive work, Aurner was born.
What sets Aesop apart is its intellectual, multisensory approach to fragrance-making. “There is a very specific creative process,” explains the Grasse-born Barel, who has been working with the brand intermittently since 2006. “Aesop prepared a beautiful collage book with multiple sources of inspiration, like poems, dried herbs, photography, music and literary references. It’s always a very rich brief ... It really does feel like being in front of a cabinet of curiosity.” In this instance, for Aurner, Barel was supplied with several key cultural artefacts: the song Lilac Wine by Nina Simone (and its tensions between softness and defiance); the work of Chinese poet Li Qingzhao; and a palette of greens from Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours. She then had to figure out the aroma that might tie all of these things together. “I loved receiving all those materials because it really taps into my synesthesia, to nourish and feed my creativity,” Barel says. “That’s very rare in the industry: [working with Aesop] is like a dialogue between visionary to visionary, creative to creative, without any filters in the middle.” The main focus, it was decided, would be to draw on the contradictions of nature, working with both delicate florals and robust wood, as well as “fresh versus warm, vegetal versus metallic and feminine versus masculine”.
“Aesop prepared a beautiful collage book with multiple sources of inspiration, like poems, dried herbs, photography, music and literary references ... It really does feel like being in front of a cabinet of curiosity” – Céline Barel
Aurner is being launched this week alongside Aesop’s first-ever jewellery collaboration, made by Bangkok-based designer Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura. She worked with Barel to create a one-off necklace and a limited edition ear cuff, which were made to complement the scent. “I think both of us had this very nonconformist idea of illustrating the floral world, and how we could bring the tension between the poetry and the grit,” says Barel. The jewellery ended up being a subversive incarnation of the original brief. “It became a metallic flower, a wink to the slightly metallic side of the chamomile.” All in all, Barel says, it was a challenging project that inspired a refreshing amount of contemplation – unusual in an industry obsessed with growth, quick turnarounds and easy sells. “I think it is truly the brand that defines quiet luxury,” she adds. “It’s not loud. But it’s delivering.”
Aurner Eau de Parfum by Aesop is available to buy now; the limited-edition Aurner Ear Cuff is available here.
