Jil Sander has launched Olfactory Series 1, a groundbreaking fragrance collection under the creative direction of Lucie and Luke Meier, who describe the concept as “clear-cut”. A debut set of six minimalist, unisex scents, the range has set out to redefine perfumery by fusing botany with cutting-edge technology, delivering radical compositions that distill fragrance to its purest form.
At the heart of the collection is the use of aldehydes – synthetic molecules that act as light sparks, cutting through traditional, natural ingredients to create unexpected depth and clarity. In fact, each scent is built around just three key ingredients: aldehydes, alcohol derived partially from upcycled carbon emissions, and water, stripping away excess to focus on pure olfactory expression. The essentials.
The six fragrances – Leaf, Miel, Black Tea, Earth, Coffea and Smoke – explore a spectrum of sensory experiences. Leaf, created with Julie Massé, captures the green sharpness of a freshly picked Black Krim Tomato, while Miel, created with Mathilde Bijaoui, layers buckwheat honey over jasmine and vetiver for a rich yet airy depth. Black Tea by Nathalie Lorson, on the other hand, blends upcycled cinnamon, osmanthus and CO2-extracted tea for a smoky warmth, evoking the feeling of travelling to distant lands without the long haul flights. Earth, created with Massé, then recreates the scent of rain-soaked ground, merging rose, patchouli, and matsutake mushroom for a hyper-realistic take on nature, while Coffea by Paul Guerlain offers a floral-ambery contrast, with CO2-extracted coffee beans and powdery orris. Finally, Smoke, created in collaboration with Berenice Watteau, plays with light and shadow, pairing cedarwood and cade with fresh laundry notes for an enigmatic, wearable contrast.
The offering’s avant-garde spirit extends to its design which was dreamed up via a collaboration with Milan and Rotterdam-based design studio Formafantasma. Each glass bottle features organic, asymmetrical shapes, making every piece unique while the white aluminium cap, both functional and visually pleasing, reinforces the brand’s signature quiet luxury. A bold reinvention of perfumery, Olfactory Series 1 turns fragrance into an intimate, sensory experience – one that lingers long after the wearer has left the room.
Photography courtesy of Jil Sander.
