At Arpa Studios, a new chapter begins for perfumer Barnabé Fillion

Four years have passed since Arpa Studios – a fragrance brand and research project exploring scent and synaesthesia – was founded by polymath perfumer Barnabé Fillion. Wallpaper* previewed its debut collection of fragrances titled Sequence 1 in the May 2020 issue, followed by an interview with Fillion about the official Arpa Studios launch at Dover Street Market Parfums.

Fillion, who has a background in photography, design, and botany, trained under noses including Christine Nagel and has worked with Aesop for 12 years. At Arpa Studios (a.k.a. The Imaginary Institute of Synaesthesia), fragrances – which Fillon sometimes describes as ‘substances’ – begin with ‘blurry images, colours and sketches’ and can take as little time as a day or as long as a year to bring to life. This way Fillion can ‘write a story based on what I see and what I feel,’ he explains. Manta, for example, is a perfume from the Sequence 1 collection based on a ‘dream, a flash, a vision’ of being eclipsed by the wings of a manta ray. ‘The movement of the manta was creating sound, a change of temperature, of light – and that became a perfume,’ he reflects.

Arpa Studios by perfumer Barnabé Fillion: Series 2

Last month during Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2025, Arpa Studios premiered Sequence 2, a new selection of scents at the Marais-based concept store The Broken Arm. This series is a continuation of Fillion’s multisensorial investigation into the link between scent and memory.

This particular area of his research is inspired by principles initially laid out in Japanese Metabolism, a post-war architectural movement which envisioned buildings and cities as living, evolving organisms. ‘Our organic philosophy and fascination with micro-organisms creating hybrid forms of life align with the principles of Japanese Metabolism, explains Fillion. ‘We are playing with science, art, nature, scent and song.’ Fillion has a close relationship with Japan, having worked in the country for almost 20 years. And, aside from perfume, he describes architecture as his ‘main passion’. ‘I think about places, even more than [perfume] ingredients,’ he explains.

The three initial scents of Series 2 are built around the flower iris. In addition, Kōsai contains yuzu, bergamot and neroli, with beeswax, petitgrain and suede at its centre. Piel, which is described as ‘the polished surface of a shimmer in the dark’ blends red shiso and jasmine with herbal notes of armoise and opoponax. Kapsel is a resinous accord, highlighting hinoki leaves, vetiver root, sandalwood and patchouli.

Collaboration is vital to Fillion’s imaginative approach to making perfume. Sequence 2 will be accompanied by a limited-edition box crafted from a flexi disc of the music of Philippe Hallais, otherwise known as Low Jack, who also performed at The Broken Arm for the collection’s launch event. ‘I invited Low Jack to participate in the installation Soap Culture I did at the Venice Biennale last year,’ he says. ‘What we developed there became a sort of language that I used to create Sequence 2.’ Fillion also recently worked with fashion brand Namacheko on a scent that dives into the Iraqi and Kurdish roots of its founder Dilan Lur. ‘His grandfather was a silversmith, so we dove into the idea of incorporating metal into the perfume,’ he explains.

Series 2 sees London-based designer Jochen Holz return to design the hand-blown glass bottles he created for Series 1, which are made without a diffuser. This is so the perfume is applied directly to the skin to heighten the sensory experience. Kosai, Piel and Kapsel are encased in coloured and scented glycerin soap capsules. ‘There is this idea it will disappear but it’s still protecting the glass and the perfume,’ says Fillion. ‘There’s something a bit oily about soap but [at the same time] it’s also the cleanest thing you can have in your hands.’

The remaining fragrances from Series 2 will be introduced individually throughout the year, each paired with new packaging. In addition, Arpa Studios is set to open two new spaces in Paris and Kyoto in 2025. ‘It’s been a year of making things,’ Fillion muses. ‘This is the start of a new chapter.’

arpastudios.com