Emotions are rarely linear. In the span of 24 hours, one can experience joy, heartbreak and anger, depending on where the day takes them. Perhaps no one knows this better than Maison Margiela, whose new fragrance line explores the complexities of human emotion. 

The brand just released The Scentsorium Collection, a set of six genderless perfumes, and while the new fragrances each have their own distinct scent profile, they all showcase how emotion can be translated through scent. That’s made even clearer by their names, with names like ‘Anguish and Awe’, ‘Tender Defiance’ and ‘Silent Fury’. To celebrate the arrival of the Scentsorium Collection, on Thursday, May 7, Maison Margiela hosted an intimate New York City gathering, which was held on the panoramic top floor of Chelsea’s Starrett-Lehigh building. 

Below, here’s everything that went down.

THE VIBES WERE PERFUME-MEETS-ART

To introduce the collection, Margiela created six installations – ranging from an assortment of vintage TVs to a tangled web of branches – to represent the emotional essence of each of the fragrances. Throughout the night, guests were led through each of the six chapters, and the end result was an evening that felt closer to a gallery opening than it did to a run-of-the-mill event.

THE SCENTSORIUM COLLECTION WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW 

It’s not a perfume party without, well, some perfume. Each of the six scents was scattered throughout the sun-lit venue, giving guests an opportunity to experience the product for themselves.

EMOTIONS RAN HIGH

The night brought together various local creatives, including model Stella Lucia, content creator Lucy Rae McFadin and model and gallerist Gabrielle Richardson, to explore the emotional impact of scent. Naturally, everyone was drawn to their own favourite perfume, mingling over drinks after the tour to share experiences.

ALL THE SENSES WERE FED

With the installations and perfumes taking care of sight and smell, DJ Wade Harley Harris took care of sound by making sure the music was on point from start to finish.