AESOP
ABOVE US, STEORRA
2025
PERFUMER
Celine Barel
cardamom
cumin
cinnamon
pepper
elemi
rockrose leaf
labdanum
twigs
frankincense
vanilla
Release date: September 1, 2025.
‘Aesop’s newest chapter in the stories of fragrance prompts us to question the endless beauty stars, the grandeur of cosmos, and the delicacy of the ever–incandescent amber. Inspired by the visions of the night sky, imagery of amber’s versatile shades, and a thought-provoking haiku, namely, Mayuzumi Madoka’s ‘’Shooting Star’’, which celebrates the possibilities of love in the unknown, Aesop, together with long-time partner Céline Barel, bring abstract discussions to life through the world of scents. The product of these discussions is a constellation of deep amber and the spices of cardamom, a scent conjuring richness, depth, and wonder of all things mysterious. The careful combination asks a forever–actual question: in a world enveloped in noise, lamplights and modernity, what is the unknown, or, more accurately — can you really trust the unknown? Céline Barel explains the various inspirations that influenced the composition: “I wanted to create a ‘Celestial Amber’ — an idea that came to me while looking at the ceiling of the Aesop Collins Street store in Melbourne, which is covered with crushed Aesop bottles worked into the plaster. This immediately gave me the impression of a beautiful starry sky. Above Us, Steorra is not just a star, it’s a shooting star. It is something glowing–hot and cold at the same time, a complex bouquet of spices-that leaves a luminous trail in the darkness. A moving fragrance for nonconformists and for conformists who secretly yearn for something gently subversive.” Every element reflects this vision. From the balance of amber’s powdery sweetness and deepness of resin and wood, to its naming convention — ‘’Steorra’’ [Steh-O-rah], the Old–English word for stars, to the balsamic warmth of labdanum and peppery, citrussy elements, the fragrance tells us not a story, but a fable–like invocation that humbly questions our understanding of the world.’ – Zoomagazine
