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THE NEW ERA OF GOURMANDS BY AKRO FRAGRANCES
 
We had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Olivier Cresp, master perfumer and co-founder of Akro Fragrances. Let’s dive deep into the intoxicating world of Akro, where four delectable gourmand fragrances have ignited global appetite and sweet cravings among perfume lovers.
 
Read through the end for all the details behind the highly anticipated new launch, SMILE, and a sneak peek into what’s brewing for fall.  
THE NEW ERA OF GOURMANDS BY AKRO FRAGRANCES
 
We had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Olivier Cresp, master perfumer and co-founder of Akro Fragrances. Let’s dive deep into the intoxicating world of Akro, where four delectable gourmand fragrances have ignited global appetite and sweet cravings among perfume lovers.
 
Read through the end for all the details behind the highly anticipated new launch, SMILE, and a sneak peek into what’s brewing for fall.  
THE NEW ERA OF GOURMANDS BY AKRO FRAGRANCES
 
We had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Olivier Cresp, master perfumer and co-founder of Akro Fragrances. Let’s dive deep into the intoxicating world of Akro, where four delectable gourmand fragrances have ignited global appetite and sweet cravings among perfume lovers.
 
Read through the end for all the details behind the highly anticipated new launch, SMILE, and a sneak peek into what’s brewing for fall.  
AKRO FRAGRANCE:
Daring. Unisex. Bold, Rebellious. Different. 
Translates from French as ‘hooked’
AKRO FRAGRANCE:
Daring. Unisex. Bold, Rebellious. Different. 
Translates from French as ‘hooked’
AKRO FRAGRANCE:
Daring. Unisex. Bold, Rebellious. Different. 
Translates from French as ‘hooked’
AWAKE:
 
T.L.: So, what keeps you awake?
 
O. Cresp: It's coffee. You see, there are a lot of coffee drinkers all over the world, and I love to drink coffee. Maybe it's not the best if we drink too much of it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy drinking cappuccino and talking with friends over some coffee. I remember going to the south of Italy with my dad, specifically to Sicily. We would always drink these small, strong coffees, often with a lemon peel to boost the flavor. That was my first inspiration when creating my fragrance, "Awake."

T.L.:  What inspired the specific ingredients in "Awake"?
 
O. Cresp: I used a beautiful coffee, not from Italy but from Brazil. It's a coffee sample I received, and I wanted to elevate it by highlighting it with lemon. The lemon, sourced from Calabria and Sicily, really boosts the coffee's effect. Additionally, I always associate coffee with cardamom seeds, which come from Guatemala, a place I visited a few years ago. So, every ingredient is linked to my good memories. The formula is short and minimalist. Underneath the coffee and lemon, I used some dates. When people smell it, they immediately recognize it as coffee. They won’t mistake it for tea, lavender, jasmine, or rose. I love creating fragrances with a figurative approach. When I give a blotter to ten people around the table, they all say it smells like coffee. And it’s a very strong, very nice coffee.  
AWAKE:
 
T.L.: So, what keeps you awake?
 
O. Cresp: It's coffee. You see, there are a lot of coffee drinkers all over the world, and I love to drink coffee. Maybe it's not the best if we drink too much of it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy drinking cappuccino and talking with friends over some coffee. I remember going to the south of Italy with my dad, specifically to Sicily. We would always drink these small, strong coffees, often with a lemon peel to boost the flavor. That was my first inspiration when creating my fragrance, "Awake."

T.L.:  What inspired the specific ingredients in "Awake"?
 
O. Cresp: I used a beautiful coffee, not from Italy but from Brazil. It's a coffee sample I received, and I wanted to elevate it by highlighting it with lemon. The lemon, sourced from Calabria and Sicily, really boosts the coffee's effect. Additionally, I always associate coffee with cardamom seeds, which come from Guatemala, a place I visited a few years ago. So, every ingredient is linked to my good memories. The formula is short and minimalist. Underneath the coffee and lemon, I used some dates. When people smell it, they immediately recognize it as coffee. They won’t mistake it for tea, lavender, jasmine, or rose. I love creating fragrances with a figurative approach. When I give a blotter to ten people around the table, they all say it smells like coffee. And it’s a very strong, very nice coffee.  
AWAKE:
 
T.L.: So, what keeps you awake?
 
O. Cresp: It's coffee. You see, there are a lot of coffee drinkers all over the world, and I love to drink coffee. Maybe it's not the best if we drink too much of it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy drinking cappuccino and talking with friends over some coffee. I remember going to the south of Italy with my dad, specifically to Sicily. We would always drink these small, strong coffees, often with a lemon peel to boost the flavor. That was my first inspiration when creating my fragrance, "Awake."

T.L.:  What inspired the specific ingredients in "Awake"?
 
O. Cresp: I used a beautiful coffee, not from Italy but from Brazil. It's a coffee sample I received, and I wanted to elevate it by highlighting it with lemon. The lemon, sourced from Calabria and Sicily, really boosts the coffee's effect. Additionally, I always associate coffee with cardamom seeds, which come from Guatemala, a place I visited a few years ago. So, every ingredient is linked to my good memories. The formula is short and minimalist. Underneath the coffee and lemon, I used some dates. When people smell it, they immediately recognize it as coffee. They won’t mistake it for tea, lavender, jasmine, or rose. I love creating fragrances with a figurative approach. When I give a blotter to ten people around the table, they all say it smells like coffee. And it’s a very strong, very nice coffee.  
BAKE:
 
T.L.: Can you tell us the story behind BAKE?
 
O. Cresp: Absolutely. My daughter Anais called me one day and said Dad, I have a fantastic idea. She asked if I could work on creating a wearable fragrance inspired by a cupcake. I said yes, and that set the wheels in motion.
 
T.L: What was your inspiration for this fragrance?
 
O. Cresp: I remember going to Magnolia Bakery with my wife and daughter, where you can see people baking amazing cupcakes through the window. Standing on the sidewalk, enjoying those fresh delicious cupcakes, those memories inspired me to work on BAKE fragrance with a hint of lemon.
 
T.L: What notes did you use to capture that cupcake essence?
 
O. Cresp: The fragrance starts with a sparkling lemon note, providing a vibrant top. Then you have a great lemon acidity balanced with some whipped cream. There's also salty toffee, achieved using immortelle, an everlasting flower, to get that savory effect. And of course, we included lovely vanilla underneath. It's a short, easy-to-understand formula that captures the essence of a cupcake.
 
T.L.: How did you ensure the fragrance was wearable and not overly sweet or sticky?
 
O. Cresp: I aimed for a figurative approach, making the fragrance wearable with long-lasting diffusion, projection, and aura. Using a strong concentration can sometimes lock in the fragrance too much, making it heavy. Instead, I created a fluffy, vertical scent that isn’t sticky at all. It’s light and wearable, yet still has that yummy, gourmand quality.
 
T.L: How has the fragrance been received?
 
O. Cresp: It’s been marvelous. AKRO BAKE has become our hero fragrance, loved by everyone around the world. It's also one of our top fragrances in terms of sales, alongside AWAKE.
 
T.L: What do you think contributes to its success?
 
O. Cresp: The idea and campaign around the cupcake theme make it very accessible and fun. The challenge was to create a delicious fragrance without it being sticky, especially when using lemon blended with vanilla. We managed to achieve that. Even after five to ten minutes, you still get that little bit of crème brûlée – the burnt vanilla sugary aspect. I really love it, and I think others do too.
BAKE:
 
T.L.: Can you tell us the story behind BAKE?
 
O. Cresp: Absolutely. My daughter Anais called me one day and said Dad, I have a fantastic idea. She asked if I could work on creating a wearable fragrance inspired by a cupcake. I said yes, and that set the wheels in motion.
 
T.L: What was your inspiration for this fragrance?
 
O. Cresp: I remember going to Magnolia Bakery with my wife and daughter, where you can see people baking amazing cupcakes through the window. Standing on the sidewalk, enjoying those fresh delicious cupcakes, those memories inspired me to work on BAKE fragrance with a hint of lemon.
 
T.L: What notes did you use to capture that cupcake essence?
 
O. Cresp: The fragrance starts with a sparkling lemon note, providing a vibrant top. Then you have a great lemon acidity balanced with some whipped cream. There's also salty toffee, achieved using immortelle, an everlasting flower, to get that savory effect. And of course, we included lovely vanilla underneath. It's a short, easy-to-understand formula that captures the essence of a cupcake.
 
T.L.: How did you ensure the fragrance was wearable and not overly sweet or sticky?
 
O. Cresp: I aimed for a figurative approach, making the fragrance wearable with long-lasting diffusion, projection, and aura. Using a strong concentration can sometimes lock in the fragrance too much, making it heavy. Instead, I created a fluffy, vertical scent that isn’t sticky at all. It’s light and wearable, yet still has that yummy, gourmand quality.
 
T.L: How has the fragrance been received?
 
O. Cresp: It’s been marvelous. AKRO BAKE has become our hero fragrance, loved by everyone around the world. It's also one of our top fragrances in terms of sales, alongside AWAKE.
 
T.L: What do you think contributes to its success?
 
O. Cresp: The idea and campaign around the cupcake theme make it very accessible and fun. The challenge was to create a delicious fragrance without it being sticky, especially when using lemon blended with vanilla. We managed to achieve that. Even after five to ten minutes, you still get that little bit of crème brûlée – the burnt vanilla sugary aspect. I really love it, and I think others do too.
BAKE:
 
T.L.: Can you tell us the story behind BAKE?
 
O. Cresp: Absolutely. My daughter Anais called me one day and said Dad, I have a fantastic idea. She asked if I could work on creating a wearable fragrance inspired by a cupcake. I said yes, and that set the wheels in motion.
 
T.L: What was your inspiration for this fragrance?
 
O. Cresp: I remember going to Magnolia Bakery with my wife and daughter, where you can see people baking amazing cupcakes through the window. Standing on the sidewalk, enjoying those fresh delicious cupcakes, those memories inspired me to work on BAKE fragrance with a hint of lemon.
 
T.L: What notes did you use to capture that cupcake essence?
 
O. Cresp: The fragrance starts with a sparkling lemon note, providing a vibrant top. Then you have a great lemon acidity balanced with some whipped cream. There's also salty toffee, achieved using immortelle, an everlasting flower, to get that savory effect. And of course, we included lovely vanilla underneath. It's a short, easy-to-understand formula that captures the essence of a cupcake.
 
T.L.: How did you ensure the fragrance was wearable and not overly sweet or sticky?
 
O. Cresp: I aimed for a figurative approach, making the fragrance wearable with long-lasting diffusion, projection, and aura. Using a strong concentration can sometimes lock in the fragrance too much, making it heavy. Instead, I created a fluffy, vertical scent that isn’t sticky at all. It’s light and wearable, yet still has that yummy, gourmand quality.
 
T.L: How has the fragrance been received?
 
O. Cresp: It’s been marvelous. AKRO BAKE has become our hero fragrance, loved by everyone around the world. It's also one of our top fragrances in terms of sales, alongside AWAKE.
 
T.L: What do you think contributes to its success?
 
O. Cresp: The idea and campaign around the cupcake theme make it very accessible and fun. The challenge was to create a delicious fragrance without it being sticky, especially when using lemon blended with vanilla. We managed to achieve that. Even after five to ten minutes, you still get that little bit of crème brûlée – the burnt vanilla sugary aspect. I really love it, and I think others do too.
RISE:
 
T.L:  Please share the story behind AKRO RISE!
 
O. Cresp: RISE captures the pleasures of life, the joy of vacation, and the feeling of post-vacation bliss. A couple of years ago, I tried to anticipate the trends, and I saw that the next big trend would be vanilla. We've seen this with fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana "DEVOTION" and "BAKE" "RISE" is a solar fragrance and part of this new trend. It's a shining, gourmand fragrance. Imagine you're on vacation in the south of Europe or the Caribbean Islands. You walk along the sea, hearing the waves and feeling the salty breeze. I used some marine notes to capture that. Then, you feel the need for a snack and enjoy some coconut, bringing in that coconut feeling. Throughout the day, you relax and savor piña coladas, capturing the pineapple and rum notes. By the end of the day, you're fully relaxed, back in your bungalow surrounded by frangipani and tiare flowers. It's a solar, gourmand fragrance that resonates with personal memories, making it special for everyone who wears it.
RISE:
 
T.L:  Please share the story behind AKRO RISE!
 
O. Cresp: RISE captures the pleasures of life, the joy of vacation, and the feeling of post-vacation bliss. A couple of years ago, I tried to anticipate the trends, and I saw that the next big trend would be vanilla. We've seen this with fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana "DEVOTION" and "BAKE" "RISE" is a solar fragrance and part of this new trend. It's a shining, gourmand fragrance. Imagine you're on vacation in the south of Europe or the Caribbean Islands. You walk along the sea, hearing the waves and feeling the salty breeze. I used some marine notes to capture that. Then, you feel the need for a snack and enjoy some coconut, bringing in that coconut feeling. Throughout the day, you relax and savor piña coladas, capturing the pineapple and rum notes. By the end of the day, you're fully relaxed, back in your bungalow surrounded by frangipani and tiare flowers. It's a solar, gourmand fragrance that resonates with personal memories, making it special for everyone who wears it.
RISE:
 
T.L:  Please share the story behind AKRO RISE!
 
O. Cresp: RISE captures the pleasures of life, the joy of vacation, and the feeling of post-vacation bliss. A couple of years ago, I tried to anticipate the trends, and I saw that the next big trend would be vanilla. We've seen this with fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana "DEVOTION" and "BAKE" "RISE" is a solar fragrance and part of this new trend. It's a shining, gourmand fragrance. Imagine you're on vacation in the south of Europe or the Caribbean Islands. You walk along the sea, hearing the waves and feeling the salty breeze. I used some marine notes to capture that. Then, you feel the need for a snack and enjoy some coconut, bringing in that coconut feeling. Throughout the day, you relax and savor piña coladas, capturing the pineapple and rum notes. By the end of the day, you're fully relaxed, back in your bungalow surrounded by frangipani and tiare flowers. It's a solar, gourmand fragrance that resonates with personal memories, making it special for everyone who wears it.
SMILE:
 
T.L.: And now we come to the final fragrance – SMILE. Can you tell us about it?
 
O. Cresp: SMILE embodies joy. Especially after all that's been happening in the world, we need some happiness, a reason to enjoy life. This fragrance is amazing and appreciated by many. It looks simple, but it was challenging to create. It's a small formula, and interestingly, it has roots from when my daughter was a teenager, around 15 or 16 years old. I created a special fruity musk for her back then, and everyone was asking her about it. When I started working on SMILE I aimed to create a new generation of musk. I incorporated lemon to give it a fizzy, sparkling effect, which I associate with the sun. So, the fragrance opens with lemon and a fraction of bergamot. It has a beautiful, modern musk and, most importantly, a high-quality raspberry note, extracted using a completely new method. This raspberry extract is so pure, you could even drink it like juice. Lemon pairs wonderfully with raspberry, and I added a touch of clary sage to complete the blend.
 
T.L.: How do you envision people experiencing SMILE?
 
O. Cresp: We want SMILE to convey happiness and cheerfulness, perfect for a group of friends. We even created a short video to capture this essence which gives you the idea of the joyful, uplifting nature of the fragrance. SMILE is really our summary of a positive fragrance, and we hope it brings happiness to everyone who wears it.
SMILE:
 
T.L.: And now we come to the final fragrance – SMILE. Can you tell us about it?
 
O. Cresp: SMILE embodies joy. Especially after all that's been happening in the world, we need some happiness, a reason to enjoy life. This fragrance is amazing and appreciated by many. It looks simple, but it was challenging to create. It's a small formula, and interestingly, it has roots from when my daughter was a teenager, around 15 or 16 years old. I created a special fruity musk for her back then, and everyone was asking her about it. When I started working on SMILE I aimed to create a new generation of musk. I incorporated lemon to give it a fizzy, sparkling effect, which I associate with the sun. So, the fragrance opens with lemon and a fraction of bergamot. It has a beautiful, modern musk and, most importantly, a high-quality raspberry note, extracted using a completely new method. This raspberry extract is so pure, you could even drink it like juice. Lemon pairs wonderfully with raspberry, and I added a touch of clary sage to complete the blend.
 
T.L.: How do you envision people experiencing SMILE?
 
O. Cresp: We want SMILE to convey happiness and cheerfulness, perfect for a group of friends. We even created a short video to capture this essence which gives you the idea of the joyful, uplifting nature of the fragrance. SMILE is really our summary of a positive fragrance, and we hope it brings happiness to everyone who wears it.
SMILE:
 
T.L.: And now we come to the final fragrance – SMILE. Can you tell us about it?
 
O. Cresp: SMILE embodies joy. Especially after all that's been happening in the world, we need some happiness, a reason to enjoy life. This fragrance is amazing and appreciated by many. It looks simple, but it was challenging to create. It's a small formula, and interestingly, it has roots from when my daughter was a teenager, around 15 or 16 years old. I created a special fruity musk for her back then, and everyone was asking her about it. When I started working on SMILE I aimed to create a new generation of musk. I incorporated lemon to give it a fizzy, sparkling effect, which I associate with the sun. So, the fragrance opens with lemon and a fraction of bergamot. It has a beautiful, modern musk and, most importantly, a high-quality raspberry note, extracted using a completely new method. This raspberry extract is so pure, you could even drink it like juice. Lemon pairs wonderfully with raspberry, and I added a touch of clary sage to complete the blend.
 
T.L.: How do you envision people experiencing SMILE?
 
O. Cresp: We want SMILE to convey happiness and cheerfulness, perfect for a group of friends. We even created a short video to capture this essence which gives you the idea of the joyful, uplifting nature of the fragrance. SMILE is really our summary of a positive fragrance, and we hope it brings happiness to everyone who wears it.
T.L.: Can you reveal the upcoming fragrance which will be launching in the fall?
 
O. Cresp: Our next launch is all about celebration. It's very sensual, party-oriented, and perfect for those joyous evenings, the spirit of wine, and the excitement of parties. It pairs wonderfully with our SMILE too – you will spritz on SMILE in the morning and the new fragrance will be perfect in the evening…
T.L.: Can you reveal the upcoming fragrance which will be launching in the fall?
 
O. Cresp: Our next launch is all about celebration. It's very sensual, party-oriented, and perfect for those joyous evenings, the spirit of wine, and the excitement of parties. It pairs wonderfully with our SMILE too – you will spritz on SMILE in the morning and the new fragrance will be perfect in the evening…
T.L.: Can you reveal the upcoming fragrance which will be launching in the fall?
 
O. Cresp: Our next launch is all about celebration. It's very sensual, party-oriented, and perfect for those joyous evenings, the spirit of wine, and the excitement of parties. It pairs wonderfully with our SMILE too – you will spritz on SMILE in the morning and the new fragrance will be perfect in the evening…

Olya Bar |  Digital Strategy & Communications

Olya Bar |  Digital Strategy & Communications

Olya Bar |  Digital Strategy & Communications