L’Officiel sits down with Aesop and their long-time collaborator Barnabé Fillion to explore Virēre, the brand’s newest fragrance.
09.12.2024 by Denise Fernandez
Vacations spent on the Mediterranean. A summer bicycle ride in the midst of verdant orchards. Grounding walks in nature. Sipping a hot cup of tea underneath fig trees, afternoon sunlight seeping through the green leaves. These are the images and memories that inspired Aesop’s latest addition to their line of iconic fragrances: Virēre Eau de Parfum.
A quick Google search shows that the term “virēre” is a Latin word that means “to be green” or “to be full of life,” with the fragrance itself being an ode to the restorative essence of the outdoors. Drawing from reflections of his own personal holiday in the Mediterranean, perfumer and frequent Aesop collaborator Barnabé Fillion used the key notes of bergamot, fig, and green tea to concoct an entirely new and unique take on a fresh perfume.
Virēre is first and foremost a tea fragrance, a realm that Aesop had yet to explore. Guaranteed to entrance lovers of tea scents everywhere, their new eau de parfum is a crisp yet meditative fragrance that calms the senses with green tea, fresh citruses, and nutty fig, laying on a solid foundation of woods and gentle musks. Reminiscent of a Claude Monet watercolor painting, it opens up bright and sparkling with the bergamot and pink pepper, before drying down into a soft, subtly sweet, and addictive scent.
“The aromatic direction for this fragrance arose from a simple act and moment—preparing a cup of green tea, and then infusing it with fresh fig. Virēre, therefore, seeks inspiration from both the actions and sensory experience that surround the preparation and consumption of tea—bringing to mind the small gestures and generosity associated with the humble act of providing refreshment to others, as carried out numerous times each day within Aesop stores around the globe,” the team behind Aesop mentions, “The fragrance as a whole, as well as key accords within, represent a fig and the resultant infusion—from leaves to woody stem, to the green fruit both freshly cut and steeping in hot water, transformed by steam.”
All of Aesop’s products, including their perfumes, present various executions of a delightfully distinct earthy and grounded scent profile, thanks to their natural extracts from the seeds, bark, stems, roots, and flowers of plants. Virēre is the brand’s eleventh eau de parfum launch, further extending this range of fragrances. Among these, Virēre sits outside of the Othertopias collection, alongside Marrakech Intense, Tacit, and Hwyl. With its citrus, green, woody profile, Virēre stands apart from the opulent woody, spicy aroma of Marrakech Intense and the complex woodiness and smokiness of Hwyl. Its closest relative is the fresh and energizing Tacit, with Virēre being its greener and softer cousin.
In this exclusive interview, L’Officiel talks to the Aesop team along with perfumer Barnabé Fillion, exploring the new fragrance as well as the one-of-a-kind inspiration, collaboration process, and story behind it.
On Virēre’s Inspiration and Notes:
The new fragrance was inspired by perfumer Barnabé Fillion’s holiday memories in the Mediterranean, including cycling past orchards and drinking tea under fig trees. Can you elaborate more about these specific experiences and how they directly translated into the different notes of Virēre, more particularly the supporting ones such as pink pepper, galbanum, petitgrain, hay, etc.?
Barnabé Fillion: There is also a personal experience that I wanted to recreate through Virēre—fig trees on the streets in the summer, especially in Europe, around September. The smell of a fig tree is very noticeable on the streets, even when you are passing by with a bicycle, or sitting under the tree. And in my head, the unique smell of it evokes the memories and reminiscences of summer, connected to moments of sharing, celebrating, or simply having a refreshing, healthy meal. So to bring this to life, it is all about creating a balanced aroma that reflects those elements, bringing to mind the tea infusion from dry leaf to fresh tea, the aroma of the fig trees in the air: a precious moment and memory to cherish.
Added to this, I have a passion for tea, and have been exploring this in many different countries, ultimately finding so many different types of green tea, each very unique, in Japan. One which I love is the gyokuro, which usually comes from Kyoto region, but as I traveled to Fukuoka, gyokuro is interesting because we have this multifaceted taste, which sometimes we could call it umami—a sensation that many will be familiar with, and which brings a feeling of wanting to drink more, taste more. So there is something a little bit addictive to it, and which is something I like for the idea of fig leaves—something that evokes nostalgic memories to me.
Fig is an interesting choice compared to other notes in Aesop’s fragrance line—we don’t see many other fruity notes apart from citruses. What is it about fig that inspired Aesop to make it one of the central themes of Virēre?
‘Virēre’, meaning ‘to be green, to show green growth’, reflects the nature of the fragrance—fresh with elements of green citrus and agrestic herbaceous accords, grounded by earthy wood notes—as well as its inspirations.
Olfactory links to the fig can be found in every facet of Virēre Eau de Parfum, whether it be the familiar lobed leaves—summoned by the verdant pairing of green citrus and agrestic herbaceous notes—or the fleshy fruit steeping in aromatic tea, evoked by the inclusion of diffuse watery florals gently underpinning resonant herbal notes.
The overall character—fresh with elements of green citrus and agrestic herbaceous accords, grounded by earthier wood notes—is intended to call to mind the green fig: its leaves, the unripe fruit, the woody stem, and then the ripe fruit, both fresh and then steeping in hot tea, transformed by steam—simultaneously evoking a sensory experience, and a sense of reverie, and care for self.
Virēre Eau de Parfum considers the less explored facets of the fig: it is recognizably ‘fig’, but not obviously so. It is a multi-dimensional, unexpected way to rediscover the familiar.
On the Process and Collaboration for Virēre:
Can you describe the process of working with both Barnabé Fillion and Aesop’s in-house team to develop Virēre? Were there any specific challenges or breakthroughs during the collaboration?
The creation of fragrance is always highly collaborative, and the development of Virēre Eau de Parfum was no exception. Our initial brief to Barnabé was a simple one, centered on ‘green’—both imagery and points of aromatic inspiration informed the process to reach our final formulation. Throughout, there was a development of knowledge and understanding between Barnabé and Aesop to create a fragrance resolutely fresh and verdant in character, yet possessing welcoming layers of depth and nuance.
What do you enjoy about working with long-time Aesop collaborator Barnabé Fillion?
The relationship between Aesop and Fillion is one of genuine collaboration, built on mutual trust and respect. We have forged a long-standing relationship with Fillion due to his expertise in the different facets of perfumery, his unique ability to blend innovation with tradition, and his belief that exceptional fragrances require botanical extracts of the finest quality.
On VirēRe’s Personality and Scent Experience:
If Virēre were a person, what would they be like? Can you paint a picture of their personality, style, and the kind of life they lead?
Barnabé Fillion: The person will definitely be a creative who pays attention to details and likes to travel. They have a connection to strong memories of nature, blue sky, light going through the fig leaves, and also willing to take the time to do a proper tea during the day.
I would say they would read several books from Jean Genet, the French writer who lives in Morocco and he was often in the region where fig trees in front of the sea are very important. I used to live in this region so I have paid close attention to his life. I always imagine him having a nap under this tree.
They would watch L’Eclipse of Antonioni, talking about the summer, the sea, the effect of the eclipse, with the lights going on and off.
What do you hope people will experience when they wear Virēre?
For Aesop, the skin is a canvas, and the second skin is a work of art—a perfume, made both to anoint and entrance. This olfactory ‘second skin’ is the conduit to a journey of self-discovery; exalting and enhancing the wearer in ways both conscious and not. It is both the self and not the self. Worn, and yet invisible. Of the skin, yet also transcending it. Virēre, alongside other Aesop fragrances, conjure up the complexities of memories, for those who draw pleasure in the unconventional.
