Arquiste’s scent collection is a master at transporting users to a different place and time, evoking moments and historical sites.
Our sense of smell might be one of the most underrated of the five senses, but it’s also one of the most powerful when it comes to evoking memories.
That’s because the olfactory cortex, which deals with smell, is highly connected to the other regions of our brain associated with emotions and memory. This is why one whiff of the fragrance you wore on your wedding day can immediately take you back to that special day.
Carlos Huber is a Mexican-born architect-turned fragrance designer and the brains behind iconic brand Arquiste Parfumeur, stocked exclusively in New Zealand at WORLD stores.
He says the fragrance you choose to wear for your wedding says volumes about who you are as a person. “That’s why it’s so important to get it right.”
“Arquiste’s scent collection is a master at transporting users to a different place and time, evoking moments and historical sites.”
As you’d expect, the award-winning perfumer has definite thoughts about what works for brides and grooms in different settings.
“If you asked me what fragrance I’d recommend for couples eloping to a European wedding destination in the summer, I’d definitely say our L’Or de Louis. This orange blossom, honey, pomegranate and cade wood fragrance is inspired by the grand Orangery in Versailles. But while it evokes classic European elegance, it’s also crisp and incredibly chic.”
Carlos adds that the perfume’s citrus notes also mean it feels fresh and light, while the woody notes in the background give it longevity and sophistication.
Bridal parties opting for L’Or de Louis are in good hands because the perfume was recently awarded the Fragrance Foundation’s award for Indie Fragrance of the Year 2024.
When it comes to a more urban, elevated and formal wedding celebration, Carlos steers brides and grooms towards his Boutonnière No 7.
“This elegant fragrance can complement the buttonhole flower on a black-tie tuxedo, evoking the crisp scent of a freshly plucked gardenia.”
Other fragrances that get the Carlos wedding tick include Flor y Canto, for which he leaned into his Mexican heritage.
“This is a beautiful bouquet of Mexican flowers that produces a feminine scent inspired by the Aztec myth of the goddess of beauty who was thought to smell of tuberose.”
In contrast, the fragrance Nanban is a “masculine, heady, complex mix of spices, incense and woods inspired by the journey of a group of samurai”.
“I’ve created this oriental, spicy and woody fragrance based on the story of a Japanese galleon in 1618 which carried a delegation of samurai warriors, along with a rare and precious cargo of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic spices. It’s a dashing and resolute fragrance.” Now based in New York, Carlos visits New Zealand every few years to see friends, surf, and hold fragrance events at WORLD.
His personal favourite of the Arquiste range is Peau, which Carlos also recommends for both brides and grooms.
“I wear Peau every day. It’s a fragrance that’s all about longing, desire and intimacy. It’s also centred around the idealised scent of skin. In other words, what we think of when we say that someone smells naturally good. It’s musky and sweet but at the same time salty. Peau is like a really warm hug. I get so many compliments when I wear it that it’s impossible not to reach for it!”
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