Paul Schütze’s latest fragrances are inspired by modernist architectural greats

Unike many niche perfumers, Paul Schütze was active in the creative industries long before he arrived at perfumery. Born in Australia but based in London since the early 1990s, he made his name as a film composer and sound artist, though he has since been exploring film and photography as well.

His first fragrance was created in 2014 for an exhibition at the antiquarian booksellers, Maggs Bros, and two years later he released his first three ‘proper’ perfumes, Tears of Eros, Behind the Rain and Cirebon, which gained the Wallpaper* seal of approval for both their scent and their design.

The new fragrances are inspired by renowned, modernist buildings

Schütze’s latest perfume pairing, Villa M and Cuadra are, if anything, even further up our street, not least because each is inspired by an iconic building. Architecture buffs may already have guessed that Villa M is named after the Casa Malaparte, the 1937 modernist masterpiece that perches on a rocky promontory in Capri. Fittingly, the fragrance includes the scent of Mediterranean mimosa as well an invigorating hint of fresh seaweed.

Cuadra, by contrast, revels in the rich smells of coffee and tobacco, with touches of jasmine and bay – a fitting evocation of Luis Barragán’s influential Cuadra San Cristobal in Mexico City.