London, midsummer. On the sun-drenched terrace of the legendary Harrods, niche French perfume house Ex Nihilo hosted a breakfast: fresh flowers, berries, fruit, pastries, porcelain — and, of course, perfume bottles. In this setting of gentle indulgence, bloggers, journalists, and influencers were introduced to the brand’s newest fragrances in the company of Ex Nihilo co-founder Benoît Verdier and star perfumer Jordi Fernández. But this wasn’t just a product launch — it was a behind-the-scenes conversation: about how ideas are born, the risks and challenges the team faces, and the stories embedded in each scent.
Founded in Paris in 2013, Ex Nihilo is a relatively young perfume house. All of its fragrances are unisex — a decision its founders see not as a marketing gimmick but as a deliberate move beyond outdated notions of “masculine” and “feminine” scents. For the Ex Nihilo team, perfume is an act of self-expression that doesn’t require gendered labels. Each creation is the result of painstaking work: developing a new fragrance takes six to seven months — sometimes more. Ingredients are designed from scratch, every note is tested, measured, and discussed in depth.
Jordi Fernandez and Benoit Verdier
The hardest part, according to Fernández, is creating something truly new. “A scent should fill a room without overwhelming it — it should be captivating, but never cloying,” he explains. In his view, perfumery is not unlike cinematography: you have to capture the essence, zoom in, highlight a nuance, and let it become the star of the whole composition.
Guests were first introduced to the brand through Brompton Immortals, a rich, spicy oriental fragrance with hints of patchouli, warm spices, and a soft woody base. Inspired by Fernández’s travels through the Middle East, the scent feels like it was pieced together in the shadows of minarets and cypress trees.
Photo by Alexander Tatiev
Next came Blue Talisman, one of the brand’s bestsellers — far lighter and more airy. Bergamot, pear, jasmine, and a touch of ginger create a weightless composition, like morning dew mixed with fruit.
Blue Talisman Extrait — not yet released — offered an intriguing variation on the same theme. This version unfolds gradually: orange zest, vanilla, and amber wood notes reveal themselves in layers.
Photo by Alexander Tatiev
The lineup continued with some lesser-known offerings: The Hedonist, a woody citrus, and The Irreverents, soft and sweet with notes of vanilla and caramel. The final act was Scarlett Sands — an exclusive scent previously available only in Dubai and now, for the first time, in Harrods, which received a limited batch of just 300 bottles. Deep and velvety, it blends desert sun, the warmth of skin, and the crystalline chill of nighttime air. Together, it’s a reminder that fragrance isn’t just about scent — it’s about atmosphere, memory, time, and place.
The Harrods breakfast was a perfect showcase of what independent perfume houses do best: a genuine approach, informal conversation, meticulous attention to detail, and total creative freedom. These brands don’t chase trends, they don’t segment their audience by gender, and they aren’t afraid to try unusual combinations. The olfactory spectrum — from the airy Blue Talisman to the musky Brompton Immortals and the experimental Scarlett Sands — makes it clear: Ex Nihilo is willing to take risks, but does so with intention and precision.
Photo by Alexander Tatiev
The brand’s team has already achieved something remarkable: not just capturing attention, but prompting a question — what might a fragrance that doesn’t yet exist smell like? And if, along the way, someone discovered their olfactory alter ego — then Ex Nihilo has absolutely done its job.
