Story | Leslie Yip
Nearly 30 years after Issey Miyake Parfums released L’Eau d’Issey, the brand is opening a new chapter in its scent story. Drawing inspiration once again from life-giving water, the creative team takes us to its poetic original form: one single drop. Hence the name A Drop d’Issey and a flat, round glass bottle mimicking the flattening of a water droplet as it lands on a surface.
The visual concept may be easy to grasp, but what does it smell like? Perfumer Ane Ayo decides to challenge herself to
encapsulate the beauty of “silent flowers”—those which refuse to yield their scent via traditional extraction methods, such as distillation and enfleurage. She chooses the dainty and familiar lilac.
Ayo has to recompose the characteristics of the lilac’s aroma, much like a sommelier discerns the many nuances of a wine’s bouquet. This is where she draws experience from years of training in Grasse, France, as well as extensive travel around the world.
Issey Miyake A Drop d’Issey, 50 ml | $114, 90 ml | $142
Dissecting its olfactory composition, she uses almond milk in the top notes to set a soft tone, while a botanical accord reinforces the natural feel. To magnify the sunny nature of the flower, she pairs delicate orange blossom with rose to create a radiant floral heart. A touch of star anise echoes the physical facet of the lilac floret and jasmine lactones enhance the enveloping effect.
This whole bouquet rests on a base of creamy musks, with biovanillin and Ambrox amplifying the sensation of softness. The fragrance is musky, cozy and reassuring, a cocoon of comfort that is as much at ease with a summer linen dress as with a warm and fuzzy cashmere wrap.
The distinctive bottle created by American designer Todd Bracher combines the simplicity of a perfectly round glass pebble with a tactile touch—a dip to rest your thumb and the gentle press of a built-in soft touch cap to release the scent.
Throughout this project, sustainability is top of mind. From the design of the bottle and box, to the carefully considered selection of ingredients, nature and technology come together to reinterpret and protect nature.
