Conceptualised in Stockholm, developed in Paris and crafted in Grasse, Unifrom is a fragrance house reconceptualising the way we interact with perfume and scents
What started as a passion project with Haisam Mohammed standing in the stairwell of a high-rise and being inspired by the scent of families cooking, burning incense, and blending spices has turned into something bigger.
Innovation and beauty go hand in hand, it’s the only way for the industry to continue growing as we find ourselves more educated, savvier consumers — nonetheless, fragrance is a faction of the beauty world that has always ridden on tradition and a classic mode of execution. While there has been innovation on the scent profile side, it is only occasionally that we see brands that are changing the way we experience and interact with scent. Unifrom is pushing both angles, the meaning and concept behind the scent profiles as well as their delivery.
Haisam Mohammed, founder and creative director of the nascent Swedish brand, has quite the backstory that makes the brand what it is today.
When asked about their intertwined stories Mohammed’s tale begins, “Throughout my life, I have always sought new mediums and formats through which I can express and communicate different cultural messages. I have designed, printed, and created physical experiences for as far back as I can remember. But the one format that always stuck in the back of my head was scents. Without knowing too much about the industry or the steps needed to start making perfume, I began writing down my life experiences and realized how scent had always been a key element. The root of my intention for Unifrom has always been to showcase the depth and beauty of the references from my heritage.”
That exact heritage is what makes the three key scents of the brand so characteristic. Growing in between cultures and places allowed Mohammed to create almost a culture where all their realities were combined.
There were kids from the diaspora in both places, and we managed to build our own culture, way of life, and language to communicate based on our parent's heritage and the cultures we now reside in.
Haisam Mohammed
This diaspora is easily identifiable throughout their scents — Maghrib, Cassis and Limbo, all of them inspired by the experiences of watching the sunset from the rooftops of the high-rises, the moment then the sun meets the soil and the complexity that lies in the in-between—connecting the safeness of sanctuary with the power in uncertainty. From cedarwood and tobacco, pulled from Mohammed’s childhood home, to rhubarb, hay, and ylang-ylang— that shouldn't work in theory but works in practice — each fragrance is as unique as the last one and captures perfectly the combination of worlds and heritages.
Now, onto the delivery system, Unifrom challenges the traditional spritz-and-smell format by scenting through oils — that tends to be softer on the skin, in contrast to alcohol-based perfume, which can leave the skin drier afterward. And not only that, but also is expanding to new oflatory experiences for the scent lovers. Now, Unifrom is preparing to dablle into candles and, even better, solid perfume.
Photo: Erik Djurklou
While this is a fairly unknown format of scent, it’s known for its versatility, practicality and experience while application. And exactly that is what the brand is seeking to achieve through their projects and developments.
While we’re as excited as one can get over the launch of a new scent format, this is just the beginning of Unifrom and their scented journey. Next year we already know to expect a couple new fragrances in the family, new ways to experience fragrances digitally and collaborations with cross-disciplinary artists to help expand their mission. It's been a great year for Unifrom and we can't expect to see what happens next.