You've Never Heard of New York's Coolest New Fragrance Store (EXCLUSIVE)
The world's most mysterious fragrance brand has landed in New York City.
AVESTAN, a perfume project started by the late Deciem co-founder Brandon Truaxe, is notoriously elusive. It doesn't advertise, nor does it sell its products online. Until now, it has offered a single, untitled scent, available only at a small store in London's Soho neighborhood.
Now, AVESTAN is introducing a new fragrance, as well as a second store in New York City. In November, the brand quietly set up shop in Nolita (an area already known for its preponderance of perfume boutiques), where customers can experience its latest fragrance: Svalbard.
The scent is inspired by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a small repository on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen that conserves duplicates of seeds from around the world.
AVESTAN refrains from disclosing specific notes and ingredients in its two fragrances. "This allows for a more personal exploration of the scent," a representative says, adding that Svalbard "borrows aromas from the seeds, the concrete, and the Arctic environment."
AVESTAN's New York location is just as austere as its London outpost. Svalbard is the only product offered. The fragrance will not be sold in London; the brand wants its two stores — which don't allow customers to film or photograph — to represent a unique olfactive experience.
AVESTAN's pared-back approach is the making of Truaxe, who co-founded beauty company Deciem (best known as the owner of The Ordinary) in 2013. Before his unexpected death in 2019, Truaxe had created several unreleased fragrances that he planned to sell via AVESTAN, whose London store he'd begun designing.
In the wake of his passing, Deciem decided to complete Truaxe's unfinished work and forge ahead with the store. Now, both locations serve as a tribute to the founder.
Truaxe's touch permeates the entire brand. AVESTAN's website spotlights a letter — a brand manifesto of sorts — that Truaxe wrote before his death.
"I had often been told by masters of the field that aromas reconnect us with our past experiences," it reads. "[Avestan] is a journey to create new meaning through scents. It is a departure from lavender and rose to an unfulfilled journey of unfamiliar notes: clays, stems, saps, places and moments."
