What do hallways, waiting rooms, and train stations have in common? They can all be considered liminal spaces, defined as such for their transitory nature. Similarly, empty airports, schools during holiday break, and a 24/7 laundromat at midnight can also be described as liminal spaces, with their lack of context outside of their intended function giving them an eerie feeling. Now, sensorial brand Aesop has released a trip of eaux de parfums, Othertopias, deriving inspiration from nature’s most beautiful liminal spaces.
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Developed in collaboration with long-term fragrance partner Barnabé Fillion, the fragrances, titled Miraceti, Karst, and Erémia, draw upon the boat, the shore, and the wasteland respectively. Selected for their juxtapositions, the three liminal spaces “challenge perception, invite a conversation and unlock reverie,” with the fragrances working to reveal another view of the world and transport wearers to new realms.
“A smell, whether in the air, on our skin, or on our clothes, transports us elsewhere to worlds both real and imagined,” says Aesop fragrance partner Barnabé Fillion. “A window into nature, so to speak, one that invites a dialogue with the surroundings we inhabit but often overlook.”
Miraceti or ‘The Boat’ pays homage to the simultaneous serenity and savagery of the sea, drawing upon its heady, swirling waves, oscillating horizon, and peaceful yet isolating emptiness. A base of labdanum is complemented by incense, seaweed, ambrette, and styrax, making for a complex warm, woody scent.
Karst or ‘The Shore’ recalls nature’s most skilled architect: water. The rhythmic flow of the tide which exists in a constant loop is a place of limbo, evoked by understated aromatics and fresh spices which imagine the air around the ocean while mineral elements, as well as cumin and sandalwood, conjure the salty, metallic notes of the wind howling off the water.
Taking inspiration from an unlikely sensory muse, Erémia or ‘The Wasteland’ reflects a vibrant yet hazy landscape where beings large and small are interconnected. Notes of galbanum, iris, and yuzu contribute to a bright, citrus fragrance grounded in a touch of earthiness. The place where moss and wildflowers coexist with remnants of civilization; the concrete after the rain.
Each eaux de parfum is packaged in a carton featuring artwork by Jack Coulter, Belfast-based synesthete painter. Aesop Othertopias are now available in Aesop physical stores, as well as on the Aesop webstore.
Words by T. Angel
