July 29, 2025 |
Born from upheaval and rooted in hope, Gabar isn’t your typical fragrance house. The brainchild of Phway Su Aye and co-founder Susan Wai Hnin, the brand emerged in 2020 – a year defined by rupture. Named after the word for ‘world’ in Burmese, Gabar is a sensory vessel for healing, reconnection and radical reimagination. From Myanmar’s political unrest to global calls for justice, Gabar’s origin is both personal and political. “We wanted to model a different kind of business,” says Su Aye, “while also, of course, creating beautiful products layered in heritage and creativity.”
Gabar’s fragrances are elegant provocations – scents that do more than merely smell intoxicating. They reflect the dualities between old and new, heritage and futurism, simplicity and myth. The latest collection of deep neo-gourmands, coined Deities, extracts qualities of Southeast Asian folklore, reimagining ancient creatures as olfactive muses. From the fiery oud of Nagar Min to the shape-shifting sweetness of Balu, each blend serves as a meditation on the self: its shadows, strength and capacity for transformation. “Each character represents both the light and shadow sides innate to all of us,” says Wai Hnin. “And the need to accept, evolve and work with all the sides of ourselves.”
At Gabar, the creative process is deliberate and is noted by the duo as being one of the most fulfilling and exciting stages of perfumery. “We always start with the concept – some message or reference or story that feels timely and fitting to talk about,” explains Su Aye. “Then comes the conception of how these stories and ideas could translate into fragrance itself.” Moodboards, mythologies, ingredient maps and emotional cues all guide the storytelling.
Ingredients like sesame, smoked nuts and volcanic caramel pay homage to Southeast Asian culture, while perfumers are chosen for their contemporary edge. For Deities, Gabar collaborated with Ezra-Lloyd Jackson and Burmese artist Pyae Phyo Thant Nyo, blending mystical iconography with minimal visual clarity.
Each bottle is layered with intention. The debut line evoked mindful states tied to Myanmar; the sophomore collection translated this ethos into the urban rituals of New York (although the brand is considered very much London-born and bred). Deities continues this thread – exploring myth as a vehicle for introspection. “We love the idea of interweaving ideas of internal work and change, into something, […] that is much more obviously external,” says Su Aye, who first studied at Princeton before falling for perfumery in New York. She describes the language around scent as “entirely natural”, something that feels fitting within the olfactory world of Gabar.
And yet, it’s not all theory. Gabar’s commitment to impact is embedded into the business model. For the past three years, 10 per cent of profits have supported educational initiatives for underprivileged youth in Myanmar. “We’ve always considered Gabar a scent brand for the future,” Wai Hnin explains. And for the duo, the future begins with the next generation.
Visually, there’s an opulent base note to the way Gabar’s collections are staged – each flaçon exhibited like a rare delicacy or heirloom artefact. Cradled in silver shells and perched atop sculptural stands, the bottles take on the aura of ceremonial objects, as if meant to be admired before they’re worn. The visual identity leans into Gabar’s aesthetic of restrained luxury – where scent becomes both sculpture and ritual.
Gabar’s audience is cosmopolitan and curious, drawn not just to the look and feel but the philosophy, but “someone craving more meaning,” says Su Aye. “We imagine someone who values quality objects, beauty and design and maybe it manifests in the world around them.” Despite the futurism that runs through its storytelling, Gabar’s soul remains rooted in humanity and tradition, connecting these over multiple generations, “with a strong community of people connected by a set of shared values or aesthetics or lifestyle choices, wherever globally.”
So, what’s next for the ever-expanding Gabar universe? A new collaboration with a British perfumer is already underway, promising a selection of fragrances that smell like “your skin but better” and speak of lighter and natural fragrance experiences. But Gabar’s growth remains steady and intentional, although “we do want to give it some time before releasing anything else”, says Wai Hnin, wanting to give their current creations the space to really resonate.
Rooted in heritage and open to change, Gabar reminds us that even in the hard times, something tender can take shape.
Photography courtesy of Gabar.
