In the past few years, more local Chinese brands have emerged in the market trying to recreate a scent that can represent China and its culture. However, Zhou never felt that they accurately represented the China she knew.
A firm believer in the power scent can play emotionally and mentally, Zhou set out to create the brand that could convey the Chinese identity and all its nuances through the international language of scent.
She told CosmeticsDesign Asia that she counted niche perfume labels such as Kilian and Le Labo as some of the brands that fuelled her passion for perfumery. Le Labo, in particular, is a brand she hopes to emulate.
“Le Labo is a brand I admire, because in such as commercial world, they are very elegant, and they do whatever they want and focus on what they want to deliver to the customer… I think that’s what we are doing right now. China [is influenced] by social media, live streaming and e-commerce is booming. But we are just trying to find our own way at this stage.”
The brand launched in December last year with three perfumes, among them was Shanghai Vibe, a scent that embodies the city through the experience of a local.
“I think Shanghai is the sexiest city in China, and in the autumn the weather is so nice… the whole sky is orange… and you can smell the Osmanthus flower all over. We wanted to capture that mood of autumn in Shanghai with the perfume. A lot of local people have said it does bring back memories of Shanghai.”
While the brand is only a few months old, Zhou is confident the brand will be able to fulfil its goal of standing alongside international players on the global stage.
To find out more about Maison Dixsept and Catherine, check out our podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
