From designing haute couture to crafting jewellery and fragrances, Marc-Antoine Barrois is not afraid of dreaming big. “I always wanted to be an artist,” he says. During Barrois’ time at art school, he discovered that what truly inspired him was creating living art. “Creating pieces that people can wear and feel proud of was just amazing.”
Barrois started working in the fashion industry at 19. By 25, he was already building his own couture house. “Fashion was something that I always loved as a kid,” he reveals. “I come from a textile family, so that might have been part of it.”
After establishing his name in couture, he began venturing into jewellery. Expanding into the world of fragrance wasn’t his primary focus, but he says, “I knew at some point that I wanted to create a perfume—to leave a fragrant signature, something that would linger in the memory of my clients as something beautiful and elegant.”
When Barrois crossed paths with perfumer Quentin Bisch, they instantly formed a connection. Thanks to that partnership, Barrois debuted his first perfume, B683, in 2016. “I thought I could stop there,” the designer says. “I didn’t expect it to be such a big success. So many of my clients loved it, they talked about it, and the concept stores in Paris launched it too.” According to Barrois, most brands usually unveil a collection of perfumes. Although he only had one, he admitted he had fun. “I’m really happy working with Quentin Bisch. We decided to create another, and then another after that,” he says. “It’s been a very organic process. We do what we enjoy, what’s fun, and what we can be proud of.”
Since then, the designer has released five different scents, the majority of which bear names inspired by astronomy and mythology. “Poetry drew me to these topics. It’s a way for me to encourage people to leave behind their need to know everything,” he shares. “In our world, everything needs to be factual, almost mathematical. There has to be an explanation for everything.” Through his fragrances, Barrois wishes to offer his clients the opportunity to dream and be imaginative. “Close your eyes and imagine where this fragrance takes you—it may not be the same universe I picture.”
At Milan Design Week this year, Barrois revealed the latest addition to his collection: Aldebaran. “When I smelled it for the first time, I closed my eyes, and it felt like I was moving through the universe,” he recalls. “There was a light in the night that guided and protected me. It reminded me of a Patronus from Harry Potter.”
The new scent is composed of tuberose, paprika, mate, and tonka beans. Despite his concerns about the overuse of florals in perfumery, he found the fragrance captivating. “I didn’t want to change anything about it. I didn’t care what the ingredients were, and I didn’t care if it had florals,” he states. “This fragrance is meant to be much more. It expresses the idea of hope and optimism. It’s a light in the darkness. This little light will guide you and remind you that, even though our world can be quite dark these days, you can escape and hope that things will get better.”
Marc-Antoine Barrois’ perfumes are available at Kens Apothecary.
