Smells like a bliss, scented with nature.

Synesthesia — the concept that senses intermingle, with smells and sounds evoking their own textures and colours and experiencing one sense through another — has never been a conventional element of the luxury perfume industry. Barnabe Fillion, who is also the nose of Aesop, had a distinct idea and wanted to push the premium perfume business to the next level. A fragrance should elicit thoughts and imaginations, memories and desires: like recalling the scent of a specific place, or smelling a memory. Entering: ARPA, the institute of synesthesia.

ARPA’s experiment even goes one step further by not only selling a scent that evokes certain other senses, but also filling in the synesthesic narrative that goes with it. The brand endlessly collaborates with the worlds of art and music, commissioning sculptures, vinyl records and playlists to be released alongside each scent. All of these artistic additions complement both the smell of the perfume and the experience, therefore providing a full and complete sensory journey.

The handblown glass bottles by Jochen Holz come encapsulated on a two part cast glycerine case, doubling as a perfumed cleansing soap and adding yet another - this time actile - dimension to the ARPA experience.

Discover the world of ARPA at Graanmarkt 13, and find the first sequence of fragrances online in our e-shop.