6 Arab Artists Reimagine This Season’s Freshest Scents

Arcadia

Shahad Nazer
Growing up with artist parents meant Shahad Nazer always had a passion for it. A Saudi national based in Jeddah, her inspiration comes from, “My dreams, my surroundings, and the societal issues we face here as Arabs and women,” she muses. For this piece, she was inspired by the elements of the perfume. “It gave me this earthy, nature-like feeling,” she says. Wanting to showcase the note of sandalwood motivated the swing.

TFK

Seventh Sense.
Notes: Grapefruit, citrus, jasmine, lily, musk, patchouli, oakmoss.

Ibticem Larbi

Ibticem Larbi is inspired by her Moroccan, Tunisian, and French heritage. “I wanted to focus on the refreshing sides of summer, its tenderness, and the spiritual aspect of this fragrance that relates to its name, Seventh Sense,” she says. Staging two young women in the foreground, she explains, “As a woman, spirituality and feelings are a big part of my general work.” The scenery is based on memories of Larbi’s summers spent in Tunisia and Morocco.

Frederic Malle

20th anniversary edition Portrait of a Lady.
Notes: Turkish rose, raspberry, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, white musk.

Farahzada El Shihy

“I believe scent taps directly into your emotions and memories and creates indescribable feelings,” says Farahzada El Shihy from Egypt. Working with Frederic Malle’s 20thanniversary edition of its iconic Portrait of a Lady, El Shihy explains, “I decided to create a fusion of monochromatic tribal patterns, adding the dominant notes of the perfume in red. Finally, I created my kind of lady holding the perfume bottle in a divine way.”

The House of Oud

Keep Glazed.Notes: Mango, coconut, ginger, lemon, musk.

Alymamah Rashed

“I am inspired by abandoned ornaments, the hybridity of westernization and easternization within architecture, 9th to 12th century Arab philosophers, Sufi poetry, and the story of my tangible and intangible body as an Arab Muslim woman,” says Alymamah Rashed. Hailing from Kuwait, she wanted to create a piece that would highlight the signature bottle design of The House of Oud and replicate the tropical and fruity notes like mango, coconut, and ginger.

Gucci

The Alchemist’s Garden A Chant for the Nymph. Notes: Frangipani, ylang-ylang, tiare flower, vanilla

Nourie Flayhan

How does Lebanese artist Nourie Flayhan describe her style? “Bold, curious, whimsical, sensitive, and emotional,” she says. For Gucci’s A Chant for the Nymph from its The Alchemist’s Garden haute perfumery line, she showcased this, inspired by the story behind the scent. “I felt as though I had stepped through a door into to a mystical world of nymphs dancing together under a full moon, with frangipanis glistening with the aroma of their little bodies hovering in the air. It all just came to life as I put my pen to the iPad.”