As it turns out, many of our addictions can be bottled. Founded by distinguished French perfumer Olivier Cresp and his daughter Anaïs, Akro currently offers nine fragrances inspired by guilty pleasures such as coffee and cigarettes.
“We want to be different. We don’t want to copy anybody,” explains the 67-year-old, adding that their scents are for people with “a lot of personality”. Messages In A Bottle The brainchild of master perfumer Olivier Cresp, who has won multiple perfume awards, Akro creates fragrances inspired by guilty pleasures.
And he certainly knows what it takes to stand out in the market. Cresp has created hundreds of perfumes for highend brands, including Midnight Poison by Dior and Angel by Thierry Mugler.
His contributions are so well recognised that he was bestowed the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 2012, and the Fragrance Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Perfumer Award in 2018.
Other indulgences that inspire Akro fragrances include whisky, chocolate, and sex (or eternal love, as Cresp so tenderly describes it), and each is formulated with carefully curated ingredients.
As an example, Ink, inspired by tattoos, contains notes of vetiver, black ink, jasmine, and birch, while Bake, inspired by cake, comprises lemon peel, rum, chantilly cream, and praline. “We understand that not all people’s favourite scents are flowers and fruits,” he says.
The father-daughter duo emphasises that all the fragrances are unisex, and Anaïs jokes that she often “fights” with her husband over using the same scent. This isn’t surprising given the brand’s progressive nature.
“See, there is a circle, and we are outside the circle. This is so we remain visible,” asserts her father.
Cresp is confident Akro will bring a stylish and unique touch to everyone who uses it: “Our scents are for people who are style-conscious and unique. As long as you are wearing it, you are bound to receive a compliment.”
Production is underway for the 10th fragrance.
