Kirin 麒麟
Concept behind creating the fragrance "Kirin":
After the "Scented Memoirs" event in April, Pond (Laol), Phi First (Novelic), Phi Not (Nostalgia), and I—all co-organizers—sat around in a group call. Someone (I think it was Pond) suggested, "Let's do Japanese yokai ghosts for Halloween. Each brand can pick one character." There are hundreds of characters, so the question was which one to choose. At the time, I didn't know much about yokai, so I browsed around. I'd heard of many, but had no idea how to turn them into fragrances. Finally, everyone said, "You, make a Kirin." Clueless as I was, I ended up choosing the Kirin just like that.
When I first looked at the Kirin, I thought: 1. It's an animalic beast, so that has to be in there. 2. It has a dragon's head, and its scales and manes are ablaze—there should probably be some fiery elements. 3. It evokes wealth; unlike other malevolent yokai, this one looks cool and majestic, so I thought of bright light. 4. It probably needs a slight Chinese influence, given the Kirin's cultural origins.
From points 2 and 3, I thought of osmanthus because it has a very prominent metallic tone, and to me, the scent feels bright and blazing like flames (excluding any burnt smell, of course). This happened to fit point 4 as well. So, I combined osmanthus with spices (which naturally evoke heat) and layered the whole thing with a chypre and suede structure. It's a leather note that feels comfortable and doesn't bite the nose (normally, the perfumer doesn't like leather tones, haha), along with a tiny touch of Cambodian oud that carries a civet-like facet (basically a poop smell, to put it simply, haha).
It was a very challenging brief because usually, when I interpret a concept, it's quite objective (Rosé is wine, Thalassa is the sea, etc.). But with the Kirin, trying to figure out how to translate it into a scent was a completely unfamiliar territory. The final result feels wonderfully quirky because all the notes clash wildly, yet once blended, they meld together seamlessly. Consider it a happy little accident ☕.