Wednesday night, we were invited to celebrate the unveiling of Arquiste’s new fragrance, Misfit, hosted by Founder and Fragrance Developer, Carlos Huber, in his vibrant West Village home.
“With a new edge and in the hands of misfits with style, the ‘undesirable’ becomes desired again,” says Huber of the fragrance’s inspiration.
Misfit is a modern take on a reconstructed fragrance featuring Patchouli, a common “misfit” in many commercial perfume offerings. Arquiste (an amalgamation of the words “architecture” and “history” in Spanish) approached Misfit by reimagining the counter-culture into a fragrance addictive and desirable – the base notes of Patchouli are a proprietary blend of two fractioned essences, combined together with French lavender and musky ambers to deliver a unique signature experience to any gender. Patchouli, historically, has been associated with “misfits”, where once signified for wealth and opulence, and later made infamous by the popularity in fringe circles, has become a distinctive scent that has undoubtedly preserved its place through time. Misfit embodies a new-found take on recreating the original nomenclature of the undesirable.
Led by Arquiste perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, guests were invited to experience the fragrance through an olfactory sensory installation featuring each of the unique profiles beginning from the more subtle notes such as bergamot and leading through the signature Patchouli blend (highlighted with a distinctive white vessel), culminating to the Misfit fragrance itself. Rodrigo also spoke to the research and procurement of each singular ingredient, spotlighting the difficulty of obtaining the rarest ingredients and the meticulous craftsmanship to creating the decadent perfume by the independent brand. Familiar olfactive top notes of bergamot and lavender combined with compelling heart notes of Amber blanketed Huber’s vivaciously decorated prewar apartment, transporting the guests to a reimagined 19th-century elegance. Following the fragrance exploration, the soirée led itself into Huber’s Mexican inspired living room, as guests mingled and were reintroduced to a selection of Arquiste’s signature scents, including Sydney Rock Pool, Nanban, and Anima Dulcis.
Huber later toasted with the intimate crowd to the success of the brand’s new fragrance and also hallmarking its decade anniversary.
Misfit is currently available online and in fine boutiques, travel-sized editions will also be available for Misfit along with Arquiste’s four most popular fragrances.
Photo credit: Angela Pham
