Almost a year since pioneering cosmetics entrepeneur and Deciem founder Brandon Truaxe passed away, a part of his vision is coming to life in London. At noon on 18 December 2019, the door to his fragrance brand Avestan will open, having remained exactly in the same state that he left it. The untouched space, located at 73 Beak Street, will be home to a single unnamed Avestan fragrance, and will also be the only place to experience the brand globally.
Truaxe created the space for the brand in 2018, and avestan was set to become the first (and only) fragrance brand under the umbrella of ‘the abnormal beauty company’ Deciem, which he co-founded five years prior. But the products were not to be realised in his lifetime. Now, Avestan is launching its first fragrance, and is set out to become known for its humble and refined take on scent. Think: richly detailed fragrance without the overpowering price tags.
The London space, which Truaxe designed alongside Stephanie Wong and Jason Santos, reflects these values. Acting as a touching time capsule for Truaxe, it has been left deliberately unfinished, and fans of Avestan will be cheered to hear that the design is as beautifully raw as the fragrance packaging itself, which comes wrapped in corrugated cardboard, within a simple brown paper bag (pictured above).
‘I had often been told by masters of [fragrance] that aromas reconnect us with our past experiences,' Truaxe once said. This theory appears in the very fabric of the store; which is like a memory box. By night, films created during the development stages of the brand will be projected onto the store ceiling, literally coating the earthy space in Truaxe's vision. Other design notes include bare wooden tables, fragmented blue tiles around an exposed chimney stack, and untreated walls.
Truaxe had been working on Avestan for the best part of a decade. It's commonly thought to be one of his most prized and personal projects, and the Avestan team are deeply committed to holding the brand in the place where he left it. Adding to the sense of memorial and mysticism, no notes or details of the fragrance will be shared, encouraging personal exploration of the scent. This writer experiences clay, charred wood, pepper and cumin; like an ancient, fire-cracked tagine. The unnamed scent will be priced at £38 for 50ml, following the honest pricing approach that Truaxe was so passionately committed to.
INFORMATION
avestan.com
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