On a recent jaunt into Kuala Lumpur, Pissara “Ploi” Umavijani—the founder of artisan perfume brand Parfums Dusita—recounted the story of her late father Montri (1941 – 2006). He was a poet who expressed his regret that his works were not appreciated during his time, and Umavijani clearly remembers her father’s exhortation: “To know our limits and to reach for it—knowing that we are human at the end of the day.”
Her father’s overarching influence saw Umavijani growing up in a household filled with books and artistic inspiration, making her dream of the day she would also establish her own perfumery. Although her father passed in 2006, Umavijani’s dream of making her own fragrance was kept alive with her whole-hearted pursuit. In Paris, she taught herself the science of fragrances, venturing into a collaboration to develop her first collection of scents with a fragrance house in Grasse, the capital city for perfumers all around the world.
All of that bittersweet wisdom passed on to her as a legacy from her father would set her course, where her dream was eventually realised as Parfums Dusita in 2016. This eclectic range of fragrances conveys a dramatic depth, soul and vivacity, courtesy of Umaijani’s own formative experiences and effervescent disposition. The brand takes its name from the Thai word for ‘paradise’, which is indicative of its creator’s aim to transmit happiness to the user.
In Malaysia, Parfums Dusita retails at Trove stores found within the Klang Valley, and each bottle is accompanied by a poem as well as Umavijani’s own illustrations of scenes that describe the essence of a particular scent.
What is perhaps most interesting is that Parfums Dusita transcends classical categorisation, with Umavijani’s adroit combination of French haute parfumerie cues with her Thai heritage and worldly knowledge. Thus, her fragrances are vegan-based and cruelty-free, with the exotica of ingredients recalling Siamese elegance—rose, jasmine, benzoin, beeswax, bergamot and sandalwood.
This year, Umavijani, who has swept the board in the past as a winner of the Art & Olfaction award in 2017 and the FIFI in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, launches Pelagos, a new Extrait de Parfum, created to evoke limitless possibilities.
It opens with a citrus symphony, and segues into invigorating pine, cypress, clary sage and oakmoss, which is meant to mirror the sea breeze. At the heart, precious Orris butter, jasmine, white thyme and tonka bean bring elegance, while sandalwood, Amyris, patchouli and vetiver add a sensuality at the base.
The Pelagos name for this new fragrance harks back to Umavijani’s own memories of the Aegean Sea and its islands. “There, gazing at the sky and sea merging in the horizon, I felt that anything was possible,” she says. “It is a feeling that my father captured in a poem I love dearly, exalting the vastness of the human spirit.”
Photography courtesy of Parfums Dusita & Trove
