When Lola Tillyaeva launched her maison de parfums in 2013 she knew the perfume industry is intense and cut-throat. Where most other brands take a mass-produced, industrialised approach, for The Harmonist, Lola Tillyaeva chose to create her fragrances in small batches and focus on high-end, unique ingredients. Her strategy has certainly paid dividends. The Harmonist recently picked up two nominations at the prestigious Fragrance Foundation Awards. Moon Glory was announced as finalist for “Fragrance of the Year, Women’s Luxury”, while Sun Force was named in the category for “Fragrance of the Year, Men´s Luxury.”
Given that, Moon Glory and Sun Force were competing against perfumes from some of the most recognized brands in the market, such as Chanel, Gucci and Armani, this has been an incredible success for Lola Tillyaeva and the young Harmonist brand.
Lola was thrilled with the announcement saying, “Being recognized by the Fragrance Foundation is an incredible honour. Our team is passionate about creating unique, memorable scents that captivate the wearer and reflect the planet´s beauty and the wonders of nature. We will continue to innovate in the perfume industry and are excited to announce that The Harmonist will release a new collection of scents in the Fall of 2021.”
Lola Tillyaeva’s passion for fragrances goes back to her childhood in Uzbekistan
Lola Tillyaeva grew up immersed in the exotic scents of the Silk Road. Even today, cinnamon, cumin and jasmine have the power to trigger powerful memories. “Smells act like time capsules and our childhood memories have a lasting impression staying with us throughout our life, affecting our perfume preferences,” Lola said.
The Harmonist is founded based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui. It is a world view which seeks to find harmony in the competing life forces of ying and yang – a perfect insight for creating a balanced yet complex fragrances. It is a sensibility which Lola Tillyaeva seeks to express throughout The Harmonist’s range. Her goal is to attune her fragrances to the ‘invisible force’ of the individual.
As she said “One of the main missions of our brand is to encourage and motivate our clients to take an enlightening and rewarding journey into their inner self through exploring the world of scents. There is no such thing as a perfume that is ideal for everyone. Like clothes, it depends on the occasion and character of the person. I’d say that perfume can certainly be perfect for a particular moment, occasion or for a particular mood.”
To that end Lola Tillyaeva insists upon sourcing the finest ingredients available. For example, Moon Glory makes use of jasmine brought especially from Hawaii for its “unique blend of depth and sensuality.” From the Comoros Islands comes Ylang Ylang – selected for their “delicate fruity smell, which in aromatherapy is prized for its properties to calm the nervous system.”
These fine ingredients are then blended by one of Europe’s finest ‘noses’, Prix International du Jeune Parfumeur Créateur winner Guillaume Flavigny. As Lola Tillyaeva explains the process:
“Creating a scent is very much like creating a piece of music – notes blend into chords, and the chords harmonize into a full-blown melody. Just like a good piece of music, a good fragrance encompasses a wide range of tonalities, the notes of different scents, if you will.”
