The World’s Most Secretive Fragrance Brand Just Set up Shop in N.Y.C.
A fragrance brand secretly founded by the creator of skincare giants Deciem and The Ordinary has just opened its doors in New York City.
Located in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, Avestan‘s discrete storefront is in keeping with its intentionally non-descript, utilitarian packaging and word-of-mouth marketing. With the store opening comes the debut of the brand’s second-ever shoppable fragrance, Svalbard. Named after the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (a sort of botanical Noah’s ark located in Norway), the scent “borrows aromas from the seeds, the concrete, and the Arctic environment”, according to a new report from Highsnobiety. The New York shop will remain the only point of sale for the exclusive fragrance.
More from Robb Report
These Barrel-Aged Fragrances Treat Cologne Like Rare Whiskey
Why These New High-End Fragrances Come With Tiny Vials of Patchouli, Rose, and Amber
Robb Recommends: Montblanc's New Line of Colognes Is as Classic and Enduring as Its Pens
Kept carefully under wraps since it established its first store in London in 2019, Avestan had a whisper of a launch, and five years later, the brand continues to eschew traditional marketing entirely. The original London store was the brand’s only point of sale until now and it sells just one fragrance. Avestan did have a limited release of sorts for an additional perfume, Petrichor, but reserved it as an in-store experience that was not made available for purchase.
Though it might seem like a niche, independent venture at first, Avestan is the brainchild of Brandon Truaxe, who cofounded skincare giants Deciem and The Ordinary. Avestan remains under the Deciem umbrella. Truaxe died unexpectedly in 2019, but had already begun work on the initial store design along with several fragrances, which were shelved upon his passing. Leadership at Deciem was cautious in bringing Avestan to fruition out of respect for Truaxe’s memory, and it has been deliberately slow in rolling things out since. What other scents Truaxe created before his death remain a mystery, but a letter he wrote posted on the Avestan website offers clues as to the unexpected journeys they’ll evoke.
“Avestan is the embodiment of this pleasing unfamiliarity,” Truaxe wrote. “It is a deviation from familiar notes that move us through the past. It is an exploration of the untried. It is a journey to create new meaning through scents. It is a departure from lavender and rose to an unfulfilled journey of unfamiliar notes: clays, stems, saps, places and moments. Avestan is an avant-garde play on nature – one that disallows the mind to identify but creates instead a welcomed occasion to explore.”
Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
