Avestan is inspired by founder Brandon Truaxe’s travels, and as with anything that the Deciem company touches, it’s got an edge. Just don’t go expecting any wishy washy rose or lavender..
Deciem has been hitting headlines for reasons unrelated to the usual techy product innovation of late: from the sudden departure of co-CEO Nicola Kilner to founder Brandon Truaxe’s slightly questionable takeover of the brand’s Instagram account and some less than favourable employee reviews on Glassdoor.com , it’s seemingly all been going down at The Abnormal Beauty Company. After radio silence from a press point of view, signs indicate, however, that Deciem’s usual service of releasing inventive new beauty problem-solvers and brands at apparent breakneck speed is resuming, with the launch of a new fragrance range- Avestan.
Getting to the nub of what it’s all about is more of a whimsical voyage than a slick and snappy science lesson as is the case with Deciem’s The Ordinary brand . Brandon has declared Avestan to be “avant-garde”, and as is the case with many contemporary fragrance brands, gendered perfumes and safe florals have gone out of the window- Avestan bases itself on earthy scents of nature such as sap, stems and clay as opposed to fizzy flowers. The packaging is reminiscent of an ancient apothecary, with simple monochrome jars and bottles and printed labels that bear more than a passing resemblance to luxury conceptual brand Byredo, also created by a self-declared beauty industry ‘outsider’ (Ben Gorham). Here’s the Avestan intel we have so far:
The name
Avestan is an ancient Iranian language used in the writing of sacred scripture. It’s no longer a spoken language, but it continues to be used in religious contexts and is closely related to Vedic Sanskrit. Brandon references “old mastery” and “using aromas that reconnect us with our past experiences” yet that are also “an elucidation of something unfamiliar” as key tenets of the brand, so we’re assuming he’s going for exotic influences backed by solid heritage.
The range
Visit the website and you’re welcomed by a world map, with ‘pins’ directing you to the source of the individual scents. There are 13 pins overall, some with a simple candle offering and others with larger fragrance families, from dinky bottles eau de parfum to shampoo, conditioner and bubble bath. Each ‘destination’ has a poetic byline, which isn’t always necessarily informative of what your nose is in for, but then again perfume marketing on the whole is generally airy fairy by nature- it’s rare to find a ‘does what it says in the tin’ scent. Here’s a rundown of where Avestan will take you. There’s a lots of walking and strolling involved:
Budapest: “A discovery of copper in Budapest architecture.”
Date Market in Tunis: “A warming stroll through the contrast of spices and dates in a Tunisian market.
Roofs of Beni Isguen: “A walk through alleyways of the roofless North African town of Beni Isguen.”
Asni Village: “A barefoot walk through the rivers, mud and the soil of High Atlas mountains.”
Ténéré Desert: “An isolated trek across the South Central Saharan desert land”
Tent in Tanzania: “An aromatic visualisation of firewood near a tent in Tanzania.”
Esfãhãn: “An Iranian borrowing of Assam oudh and crushed saffron.”
Yasna: “A contemplation of fire against water in orderly Avestan spiritual ceremonies.”
Tibet: “A humble selflessness amongst the sands, rocks and gusts of Tibet.”
A Tannery in Tuscany: “A sensory summary of tanning suede in a Tuscan afternoon.”
A Violin Atelier: “A connection with woods, tools and inks inside a violin atelier.”
Svalbard: “An ode to concrete corridors of Svalbard Seed Vault in the Arctic.”
Printer’s Ink: “A fragrance for paper and luggage with borrowings from a heritage printer in central UK.”
We haven’t got any info on pricing or stockists as yet so we’ll keep you posted there.
The inspo
As you’ll have gathered, travel, history and less orthodox notes seem to be the backbone of Avestan- from bare feet crossing a river to clay pots filled with argan oil and even just plain old mud, Brandon has sourced olfactory inspiration from far and wide on many levels. Including good old Blighty, which is flattering. Website aside, it’s all rather hush hush at present, but you can bet that if Brandon is entering into the conceptual fragrance market at a non-luxe price point, we can expect The Ordinary-esque demands from Avestan. Watch this space.
Visit the Avestan website
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