A waft of nutmeg envelopes me — a warm, earthy aroma that resounds, cleverly balanced by a gust of freshness. Hints of eucalyptus and geranium heart softly whisper as well, understated yet assertive nonetheless. Is that…the sound of lush foliage susurrating in the wind? Suddenly, I’m transported to a peaceful outdoor scene decorated with a mosaic of green. Until a car horn blares and I’m brought back to reality.
My reality, which is set against the backdrop of a busy New York City street. I’m tucked away in a quieter corner of NoMad, inside the tranquil Aesop store. The space is a slice of serenity amidst the madness, and it provides a moment to immerse myself in the refined world the brand has built. Over the last four decades, that’s what Aesop has masterfully perfected: the art of storytelling. Each scent is not just a collection of ingredients and notes, but an invitation to an entirely immersive universe.
This olfactory macrocosm has transformed and evolved through time, but now, the brand pens a new chapter of its story with the introduction of the Fragrant Fables Collection. Inspired by Aesop’s reverence for literature, each bottle in the twelve-product range comes alongside a carefully crafted fable, allowing us to step into the narrative ourselves. But these scents don’t just appeal to the senses; they inspire thoughts between each word and sentence.
The library of aromas includes a widely-hailed fan favorite, Marrakech Intense, along with some other staples of Aesop’s past, including Silently Hwyl, Tacit Truths, Seeking Virēre, Eternal Karst, Rōzu Arises, Entirely Aurner, Evoking Eidisis — and a new addition emerged: Unforeseen Aer. Many of these eau de parfums were developed by Aesop’s perfumer Céline Barel, who … She described the collection as, “Fresh and unconventional. We’re embracing audacity and boldness. For Unforeseen Aer, specifically, we wanted to defy the expectations of floral scents and create a bolder floral.”
It’s easy to wax poetic about these formulations, but Aesop knew that people really needed to immerse themselves in these fables in order to understand their potency. On the evening of September 9th, the brand invited scent specialists, cologne connoisseurs, and tastemakers alike into its store for an evening of repose — the calm before the chaotic New York Fashion Week storm.
Throughout the night, guests were introduced to the range, scent testing each and learning from Aesop’s experts about the Fabulist Accords that enrich each concoction. Attendees had a chance to engrave their own bottles to take home, while fanciful bites inspired by the collection circulated the room. At the top of every hour, Aesop invited Kaleb Clifford to perform live readings of the fragrant fables, taking us to the heights of blustery cliffs or oceanside without us ever leaving the room.
If every scent signifies a new chapter, then it seems Aesop has reached a climax, as it has artfully perfected the craft of surprise. Each fragrance is defined by a sense of duality. A delicate push and pull of subtle notes juxtaposed with louder, radical accords that keep us on our toes — as every good story does. And I have a feeling this one isn’t quite over yet. In the meantime, I’ll spritz myself with Unforeseen Aer and relish in the story its notes tell until the next chapter emerges.
