Vyrao is a new line of five fragrances that attempts to channel the principles of energetic healing into scent. That might sound like a far-flung concept, but the brand's founder, Yasmin Sewell, has made a career out of hitting on trends before they become trends, and this latest launch seems poised to follow the same trajectory.
Before creating Vyrao, Sewell was a retail and creative consultant working Barneys, Farfetch and Browns, where she was one of the first to champion the work of Christopher Kane and JW Anderson's womenswear.
Vyrao's Georgette fragrance photographed by Alex Lesse
Throughout that period, Sewell studied various forms of alternative healing, including reiki and integrative quantum medicine, a practice founded by choreographer-turned-healer Louise Mita that combines Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, Qi Gong, anatomical studies, and quantum theory to ‘unblock' bad energies.
Mita herself was a collaborator on the Vyrao project, ‘energetically charging' the five hundred million-year-old Herkimer diamond crystals that are in each Vyrao bottle. The scents have been developed by acclaimed perfumer Lyn Harris and, while some might not take to the more spiritual aspects of the scents, it's impossible to deny the expertise of Harris' nose.
Photograph by Alex Lesse from Vyrao's Georgette campaign
'The Vyrao project totally inspired me as a perfumer,' says Harris. 'It feels like the right time to create a fragrance that is more than a beautiful smell, one that helps you connect with life and yourself. Honestly, I have never been briefed this way before. Yasmin came to my laboratory and got totally involved. 'She told me ‘This is what I feel Lyn’ – she talked about empowerment, liberation, and magnetism, and I’m the lucky one who got to translate her ideas.'
The final five scents are I am Verdant, a mossy-citrus scent, Magnetic 70, a heady blend of vetiver and cedarwood, Georgette, a weighty rose, Free 00, a Sicilian lemon and mandarin scent so zesty it practically smells yellow, and, our favourite, Witchy Woo, which blends rare Moroccan orris absolute with rose, and patchouli.
Photograph by Lea Colombo from Vyrao's I Am Verdent campaign
Speaking to Sewell ahead of the launch, she admits that it would have been difficult to gain traction for a project like this a few years ago before wellness became the multi-trillion dollar industry it is today, complete with an ever-expanding market willing to try everything from floral tinctures to laughter meditation.
Moreover, Vyrao is launching at a particularly interesting time for the wellness industry, as new forms of sensory self-care, like audio escapism or aromatherapy, are predicted to garner greater cultural prominence.
Photograph by Lea Colombo from Vyrao's I Am Verdent campaign
'The fragrances are designed as playful mood boosters, a way of integrating positive energy into everyday life,' says Sewell. 'Scent is emotional, it evokes powerful feelings, vivid memories, it energises the spirit and awakens the mind. While it was established before Covid, Vyrao’s purpose became more meaningful as we sought deeper connection and more joy through the pandemic.'
As part of the Vyrao launch, Sewell has drawn on the talents of various photographers and illustrators to create specific works for the various fragrances. Some of their work is on display here, including photography by Lea Colombo, Alex Leese, and Katie Burnett.
Photograph by Luis Alberto Rodriguez from Vyrao's Magnetic 70 campaign
How Vyrao fairs in the coming months will be an intriguing testament to the development of the wellness industry as a whole, evidencing whether or not the trend for multi-disciplinary, sensory-based brands will be the future of self-improvement.
Photograph by Luis Alberto Rodriguez from Vyrao's Magnetic 70 campaign
Photograph by Igor Pjoort from Vyrao's Witchy Woo campaign
Photograph by Igor Pjoort from Vyrao's Witchy Woo campaign
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