Saks Galleria introduced a new luxury boutique French fragrance, Ex Nihilo, and its founders to Houston….the founders had an interesting story to tell and the fragrance collections were just as special!
Ex Nihilo, a fragrance collection developed in Paris and sold mostly exclusively to Saks in the U.S. (only exception is limited within Fort Five Ten) and Harrod’s in U.K., is a very recent entry on to the niche fragrance market. It was developed beginning in 2013 by three friends in Paris and available in the U.S. for only two years. Two of these founders, Olivier Royere and Benoit Verdier were at a small Saks Houston luncheon where I was able to chat with them and be educated on and sample their product.
Ex Nihilo, which literal translation means “from nothing”, describes itself, says founder Olivier as “an alternative fragrance house, alternative to stereotyped luxury products. Taking inspiration from the creative avant-garde and the French spirit of pure refinement. Ex Nihilo aims to give true luxury, in bringing to the fore, the pinnacle of savoir-faire and the most splendid raw materials in perfumery.” Ex Nihilo is a brand which prides itself in taking its inspiration from emerging talents in perfumery, but also in architecture, design and artisanal glass making.
Two of the founders, best friends and a clear example of how opposites can make positive things happen, Olivier Royère and Benoit Verdier were in Houston’s Saks Galleria for a special fragrance testing of many of their fine fragrances illustrating their conceptual origin and difference of each, beginning with their launch fragrance, Fleur Narcotique (my favorite that I tested) and including their newest, French Affair.
Although they launched a few fragrances in the beginning, their official launch fragrance that really caught on and became a signature for the collection was Fleur Nacotique and was our take away sample from the luncheon. It’s lovely and floral which I like.
A device, shown above and displayed below in Houston’s Saks store, is unique to Ex Nihilo as their creation…the “Vase de senteurs”, the smelling vase. With this device, available on all of their counters, you simply push the button and it releases air to reveal the fragrance with no saturation of the nose. There is one for each of their fragrances and is an excellent tool as a fragrance sampler to test a fragrance purely on its own without the interference of other fragrances.
Saks Houston Galleria launch set up to introduce the fragrance and its founders to their most enthusiastic fragrance clientele. Also, available to assist these buyers were many of the Ex Nihilo staff that were there to educate and to promote the finest in personalization for each customer to ensure that it was just right for them.
THEIR HOME….(the Paris boutique where many of their concepts are tried and refined for the ultimate customer experience)
The three founders chose the address: 352 rue Saint-Honoré, at the heart of the most contemporary Parisian luxury. They called on designer Christophe Pillet, who conceived with them an intimate and elegant venue. What makes this so unique is that Ex Nihilo is the first fragrance launch that took their strategy in reverse. They developed their product, opened their very own store which became basically their laboratory and worked out the kinks, so to speak, before they launched into other larger, more established stores. This was a brilliant approach that I have not known anyone else in the industry to have done!
About the Founders….an eclectic mix of personalities, talents and training that make for a dynamic collaboration
Benoit Verdier: Born in the perfume country of Provence; spent his childhood and teenage years between the mountains and the sea in the changing fragrance of the Mediterranean coast. His olfactory memories are precise; with his great fondness for know-how, he particularly appreciates exchanges with the talented personalities involved in the composition and creation of perfumes.
Sylvie Loday: Born in Princeton in the United States to French parents. She grew up between two shores, the dynamic east coast of the U.S.A. and the calm of Brittany. Two sensory universes which marked her from childhood. An engineer by trade, several years in a prestigious consulting firm allowed her to meet Givaudan and fell immediately for the intoxicating universe of perfumes.
Olivier Royère: Born in Stockholm, to a Swedish mother and a French father, who was a diplomat that lead to quite a nomadic life experiencing a kaleidoscope of images, sounds, transmitted sensations and parallel odours. He was also greatly influenced by his mother’s perfume, Joy by Jean Patou; he also spent eight years in banking, a great background for business.
photos courtesy of Ex Nihilo and My Red Glasses