🌹 The Inspiration: Charlotte in Japan
Imagine the legendary designer Charlotte Perriand traveling through Japan in the 1940s. She stands in a Zen garden, surrounded by the sharp, minty scent of Shiso leaves and the distant smoke of burning wood. Imperial Shiso Rose is the purest, most architectural interpretation of the Aesop Rōzu masterpiece. It is a rose scent for people who hate traditional rose perfumes. It is green, spicy, woody, and intellectually stimulating. It captures the tension between the industrial steel of modern design and the organic chaos of nature.
🧪 The Olfactory Architecture: Green Leaf and Petal
The fragrance opens with a startlingly fresh blast of Japanese Shiso (Perilla) and Pink Pepper. It is cold, metallic, and minty. The heart reveals the Rose, but it is the whole plant—stem, thorn, and petal—not just the flower. The base is a monumental chord of Guaiac Wood and Vetiver, providing a smoky, creamy finish that lasts for days. It is a vertical scent, rising like a skyscraper.
🌿 Raw Material Sourcing: The Alpine Herb
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Shiso Oil (Hokkaido): We source a specific variety of red shiso that has a spicy, cumin-like undertone mixed with mint. It is sharp and vibrating.
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Rose Absolute (France): A high-grade extraction that emphasizes the spicy, artichoke-like facets of the rose rather than the sweet jammy notes.
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Guaiac Wood (Paraguay): Known as "Palo Santo," it adds a smoky, milky, rose-like woodiness.
🧠 The Scent Psychology: Independence and Strength
This is a scent of non-conformity. The clash between the bitter green shiso and the floral rose signals a complex personality. Imperial Shiso Rose projects an image of intellectual independence, artistic sensitivity, and resilience. It is for the pioneer.
🇬🇧 The London Lab Technology
We used Green-Capture Synthesis. Shiso notes are highly volatile. Our lab utilized a molecular cage technique to bind the shiso molecules to the heavier wood resins, ensuring that the sharp green opening note persists deep into the dry down, maintaining the "fresh cut" feeling.
✨ The Application Ritual
When to wear: Art gallery openings, architecture studios, creative brainstorming, or when you need to feel sharp.
Where to spray: Behind the ears and on the wrists.
Style pairing: Japanese workwear, oversized shirts, architectural jewelry, and minimalist aesthetics.
💭 From the Perfumer's Diary
"It's not pretty; it's beautiful. There is a difference. Pretty is easy. Beautiful has edges. This scent has edges. It smells like cold steel and warm skin. It is my tribute to modernism."
