MIND
MAKE-IT-SMELL:
Encoding the Odor of Smoke
In our MAKE-IT-SMELL series, we ask creatives across different mediums to visually interpret their favorite fragrance and to share memories and visions that it awakens within them. For this episode, we asked Oliver Sheu, a New York-based designer and engineer specializing in product design and development, to share his. As a founder of the furniture and object design studio VESSEL, Oliver interpreted his favorite perfume by designing an incense holder/ashtray hybrid.
I randomly stumbled into a Byredo store one day, and while aimlessly trying different scents there, I immediately noticed the unique color of this perfume extract. I used to wear Jazz Club by Maison Martin Margiela but was looking for something that felt a bit more robust with a fuller "body". After smelling it, I instantly fell in love.
It smells smoky, woody/oaky, and leathery—notes that, in my opinion, are very forward and dominant. The scent itself is pretty intense, so a little bit goes a long way. It reminds me of a very worn-in and beloved leather couch or chair, or smoking a cigar in a den somewhere listening to Thelonius Monk or something like that. I think it’s a familiar scent—especially here in NY—since it smells somewhat akin to certain Le Labo fragrances. But because I wear it regularly, it’s clear to me that there are unique nuances to the fragrance, making it stand out in my mind. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the familiarity of smelling a similar, adjacent fragrance and the warmth that comes with that; it feels kind of communal.
I’ve been using it for about a year now and don’t have a specific memory connected with this perfume yet, although a lot of people do ask about it. It hasn’t been that long since I started wearing it, but I’m sure there will be many great memories and stories that will come as I continue to wear it more.
Oliver Sheu interprets "Sellier" by Byredo
Cashmeran ○ Black Tea ○ Leather ○ Tobacco Leaf ○ Birch ○ Oakmoss
“I designed an incense holder/ashtray hybrid in an amber glass, titled "O-005," which reminds me of the color of the fragrance as well as the materiality of the bottle. Since the fragrance itself reminds me a lot of incense and smoke, it seemed appropriate to design a vessel that could represent and house these objects of scent and smoke. This object was designed within the practice of my design studio VESSEL.”
