Finding A Simple Happiness - An Interview With Marc-Antoine Barrois On The Launch Of Tilia

Quentin Bisch (left) and Marc-Antoine Barrois (right) at the French launch of Tilia // image courtesy of Marc-Antoine Barrois

A brand on the cusp of change — that’s the way many people are currently describing Marc-Antoine Barrois. Founded in 2009 as a couture house, it didn’t launch its first perfume until 2016: the saturnine B683, composed by Quentin Bisch. Since then, it has achieved tremendous commercial and critical success with Ganymede (2019) and Encelade (2022) — striking, take-no-prisoners Bisch creations that have impressed admirers with their uncompromising individuality. Fast forward to 2024 and the brand now has two boutiques in Paris as well as one in London, all of which reflect Barrois’ love of surreal, borderline-terrifying fairy tales: witness the giant snails crawling up the walls in one of the Paris locales and the huge, blue rabbit suspended from the ceiling, upside-down, at the London store. In addition, there are extrait versions of B683 and Ganymede. And there’s a range of candles, the scents of which have been made by Bisch as well. It’s all rather impressive for a house that, strictly speaking, has produced only three discrete perfumes in seven years.

Perhaps it’s this policy of keeping to a slow release schedule that has helped it attain the cult status it enjoys at the moment. The perfumes’ bold personalities have probably helped too. Indeed, the scenery-chewing Ganymede is amongst the most distinctive fragrances of recent times, with many in the industry hailing it as one of Bisch’s most laudable achievements — high praise for a man considered by some to be the most talented perfumer of his generation.

The resultant buzz around the brand — which is palpable — is no doubt part of the reason it has been able to raise its profile even further in the last few months. There was a lavish launch of a new creation in France earlier this year, with journalists flown in from across the world. There’s been a renewed focus on the clothing. And the scents were very recently picked up by Harrods — always a sure sign that things are moving in the right direction, at least in commercial terms.

All this has led many to speculate that MAB could be the next Maison Francis Kurkdjian, in the sense of going from being adored by a trend-setting minority of afficionados to becoming part of a larger, multi-national stable. Who knows whether this will turn out to be true. Although there are a few superficial similarities between the two companies, there are probably just as many differences. For one thing, Kurkdjian was already an acclaimed perfumer when he set up his Maison, whereas Barrois had to employ the services of a ‘nose’. It could also be argued that, apart from a small number of exceptions, Kurkdjian’s offerings were never as idiosyncratic as Barrois’ and that he was always chasing more mainstream sensibilities.

We’ll have to wait and see if the next eight years of MAB’s perfumery output turn out to be as fascinating as the first. The man himself keeps insisting that he wants to make scents only with Bisch, but he may well have to rethink his plans if the latter becomes an in-house perfumer for a brand, which some say is inevitable. Plus, the pressures imposed by demanding retailers will almost certainly have an effect not just on the number of new releases but also on their style and profile.

For now, the focus is on the new Tilia: a floral composition which, by the standards of the first three scents, is easy-going and accessible, whereas in nearly all other brands it would stick out like an intriguing oddity. Based on linden blossom, heliotrope and jasmine — as well as Bisch’s beloved blend of hard-hitting woods — it shows the brand at its dreamiest and most romantic. So when I had a chance to talk to Barrois about it, I had to start by finding out how the scent came to life. Below are the highlights of two separate interviews he gave me, about a month apart.