Jouissance: the perfume brand turning erotic French literature into subversive scents

Describing Jouissance as a ‘perfume brand’ almost feels like doing it a disservice. Straddling art, literature, critical theory, eroticism, and more, Jouissance is as much focused on the fragrances it sells as it is the imaginative world built around them.

This makes a lot of sense once you hear about the background of its London-based founder, Cherry Cheng. ‘I studied Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute, did a masters in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths and worked in art advisories,’ she says. ‘So my venture into the perfumery industry was somewhat accidental. But I have always loved surrounding myself with scented objects and collected discontinued fragrances. As I’m not a perfumer myself, working with perfume is more about having a vehicle to channel and express my creative ideas.’

Cheng began planning for what would eventually become Jouissance in 2022, after spending the COVID-19 pandemic immersed in 20th-century French literature written by the likes of Hélène Cixous and Anaïs Nin. And, in June this year (2024), two years of work came to fruition in the form of three debut scents inspired by the erotically-charged work of Nin, Anne Desclos, and Catherine Millet.

Celebrating the ephemeral – Cheng describes perfume as ‘an invisible accessory, detectable to others only when they come close’ – whilst emphasising touch and tactility through its erotic themes and sensory visual identity (even the perfume boxes are made from uncoated cotton fibre paper to recreate the rough surface of old books), for those who are into their niche fragrances, Jouissance is one to watch.

Jouissance turns erotic stories into subversive perfumes

Wallpaper*: When did you start working in the world of perfumery?

Cherry Cheng: I love art and literature that caters to truth and beauty, and those that explore the nature and complexity of human desires. This is why I wanted to start a perfume brand inspired by the oeuvre of female writers whose work is centred around a complex heroine and often based partially – if not entirely – on their own lives. I’m a firm believer in perfume's magical power to transport and transform us; to make us feel differently. Whether we’re trying to temporarily escape to somewhere in a fantasy world or to adorn ourselves for a special occasion.

W*: Why did you name the brand Jouissance?

CC: The name comes from French literary theorist Hélène Cixous’ notion of ‘jouissance’, which is canonised in her seminal 1975 essay The Laugh of the Medusa as a mystical abundance that links the feminine capacity for surplus pleasure to creative power. Acknowledging and nurturing female creativity is at the heart of Jouissance, which is why we have chosen to re-appraise the legacies of three provocative 20th-century authors, known for their erotic writing: Anaïs Nin, Anne Desclos (also known as Pauline Réage), and Catherine Millet.

W*: What pieces of literature by these women are referenced in Jouissance’s debut collection?

CC: The collection is made up of three different fragrances relating to the following works: Story of O (1954) by Anne Desclos, which was first written as a series of subversive love letters to her publisher and lover Jean-Jacques Pauvert. Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for 40 years after the initial publication, and she even published criticism of Story of O under another pen name, Dominique Aury.

Then there’s The Sexual Life Of Catherine M (2001) by Catherine Millet, a luminary in the French art contemporary art scene since the 1970s. She also authored Contemporary Art in France and co-founded Art Press with Daniel Templon. The Sexual Life is the infamous memoir that detailed Millet’s sex life, from masturbation to orgies with seminal figures in the Parisian art world. It was said to be ‘the most explicit book about sex ever written by a woman’ at the time.

Finally, we looked to The Diary of Anaïs Nin, which she began to write in 1914 at the age of 11. It was first published in 1966, but she would continue to diarise her life until she died in 1977. Given Nin’s extensive body of work, we chose to draw inspiration from the first volume of her Unexpurgated Diaries (1931-1934). This period captures her years in Paris and her intense ménage à trois with the writer Henry Miller and his wife June Mansfield.

W*: How did you interpret these works into scent?

CC: Each of our fragrances is built upon a classically and conventionally beautiful ‘feminine’ composition. But there is a twist to all of them; a touch of unsettling excessiveness that adds depth, contrast, and complexity. ‘La Bague D’o’ (inspired by Story of O) centres around a heady and voluptuous ‘bruise-coloured bouquet’ consisting of rose, jasmine, geranium, and violet. It references the beguiling beauty of Anne Desclos’ heroine, O. It opens with metallic notes to evoke the steel chains from the central location of the book, the château in Roissy, and O’s ring bestowed to her as a sign of her initiation into a secret society. The perfume then becomes ‘defiled’ with warm, animalic, and tar-like castoreum.

Beginning with an overdose of sharp citruses – mirroring the acerbic wit of Catherine Millet – bergamot, lemon, and grapefruit are the openers to ‘En Plein Air’. This perfume also consists of fresh, summery white flowers, and earthy rain notes, in a nod to the ‘alfresco’ sexual adventures Millet was often having. ‘Les Cahiers Secrets’ is a timeless and nostalgic perfume, centring around orris, or iris root, which is powdery and luxurious. It’s then enriched by the warmth of cumin and other spices to evoke ‘flushed skin’. Alongside paying homage to Anaïs Nin, this scent also references the spices in Rochas’ ‘Femme’ and Guerlain’s ‘Mitsouko’ perfumes. (The latter was one of Nin’s favourites).

W*: You had a launch event at the ICA in London a few months back. How did you bring Jouissance to life?

CC: We envisioned staging the home and creative space of an imaginary writer who is hosting a salon and banquet for her friends. So, we focused on the essential pieces of furniture she would have in her room: a bed draped in silk, a dressing table adorned with beautiful objects and clippings of her ‘inspiration’, and a writer’s desk positioned next to a bookshelf.

We then assigned each of the three fragrances to specific sets: ‘Les Cahiers Secrets’ to the bed (a place where Anais Nin liked to write); ‘La Bague D’o’ to the dressing table, which referenced the ritualistic dressing often described in Story of O; and En Plein Air to the writer’s desk, where Catherine Millet would have penned her critiques.

W*: Who are some of Jouissance’s creative collaborators?

CC: The event was a real family affair; a collaborative effort amongst our closest friends. This included art direction from our content editor Sarah Cleaver; set design by Maya Angeli (who transformed the space at the ICA with her work), and flowers by Christie Leigh. Each arrangement corresponded to the notes of the fragrances.

We also had Jago Rackham, the creative mind behind Ecstasy Cookbook, design and present a glorious banquet with each dish drawing inspiration from the notes of our three debut fragrances. The menu featured quail eggs and cumin salt, pink pepper and patchouli gravlax, and fresh lemon butter. For dessert there were trifles filled with orris syrup, rose custard, and bergamot sponge. Cocktails were MarGin mixed with Earl Grey and lemon, and Shima sparkling sake with pink pepper. Singer and model Ting did a reading from Anaïs Nin’s fragrance-filled erotic story Linda, which was followed by an ethereal harp performance under the moonlight by Xiaoqiao.

W*: What does the future hold for Jouissance?

CC: We are already planning our next major event in the fall, which will celebrate our writers’ commissions program, spearheaded and edited by Sarah. As our fragrances draw inspiration from iconic writers of the last century, it’s equally important for us to collaborate with contemporary talents and support creativity from our generation. So, for this project, we have been commissioning some of our favourite contemporary fiction and critical writers to write erotic short stories that explore the theme of ‘jouissance’.

We’ve also started planning our next fragrance collection, which will launch next spring. Without revealing too much, the next three perfumes will each be centred around the themes of jasmine, tobacco, and lilac. I’ve also been in discussion with a ballet company on another scent-related project, which I’ll be sharing more about very soon…

Jouissance perfumes are available in 50ml bottles (£180) or a set of three 2ml travel sizes (£45).

jouissanceperfumes.com