We got acquainted with the founder of the EX NIHILO perfume brand, which is exclusively represented in Saks Fifth Avenue Almaty, and learned about its features and development plans in Kazakhstan.
Benoit Verdier, 45, city — Paris, co-founder of the brand EX NIHILO, @exnihiloparis, @benoitverdier_official
The EX NIHILO brand has been around for almost 10 years. I created it together with partners Olivier and Sylvie. I've known Olivier since high school, and a mutual friend introduced us to Sylvie. We have always been fans of perfume. Therefore, they left their prestigious career in marketing and finance to create their own brand.
It all started with a boutique on the Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. No one expected our appearance in the highly competitive niche perfumery market. We appeared "out of nothing", which means EX NIHILO in Latin.
Today we already have six boutiques around the world, and the total number of countries where we are represented reaches 40. These are 200 locations around the world, from Europe to Asia and the USA.
EX NIHILO is inspired by the avant-garde: a combination of modern technology with French perfumery and personalization.
If we were a car brand, then our competitors could be Bentley or Rolls-Royce. But we are definitely Tesla.
We love Concorde and Citroen SM, as well as all the items of the golden age of design in France of the 70s. This is our source of inspiration.
The brand has grown in recent years. Previously, we could only find EDP — Eau De Parfume — perfumed water. Today we have many other products in the lines of Bodyline, Extras, Sublime Essence, Sublime Mist.
We are trying to change the idea of a stereotypical suite and offer a new version of it. Surprisingly, it helps us that we are not perfumers and were able to offer completely new ideas to this conservative world. For us, fragrance is part of an exciting journey.
Our fragrances really come out of nothing. We are creating mudboards with a perfume concert, and I am writing a concept story for it. Then we send a request to the best perfumer Givaudan to develop the fragrance. This is part of the brief.
After that, perfumers develop the first version of the fragrance within a month. Then we meet again to choose one of the five options. This process can be repeated up to five times until we are absolutely sure of the final result.
Sometimes we spend a lot of time with perfumers because they use innovative ingredients and materials. We are always in favor of being more creative. There is no limit on the cost of ingredients for us. We don't have any focus groups and we don't do any marketing research. All that is important for us is a dialogue between perfumers and us, the founders of the brand.
Our clients are completely different. Basically, they are united by a love of non-standard and interesting perfumes. Some of them like our design and proximity to the avant-garde, while others just like personalization.
Perfumes have never been divided into women's and men's. This is a marketing move of the last century. Moreover, the views on male and female change from country to country. For example, our bestseller Fleur Narcotique is popular with women in Kazakhstan, and in Taiwan men will be interested in it. We are for everyone to wear what they like.
The brand became available in Kazakhstan this year. So far, we have no plans to enter other markets in Central Asia, but everything is possible. We see how many of our fans in this region and in general people who are fond of High Perfumery.
Benoit Verdier, 45, city — Paris, co-founder of the brand EX NIHILO, @exnihiloparis, @benoitverdier_official
How it all started
The EX NIHILO brand has been around for almost 10 years. I created it together with partners Olivier and Sylvie. I've known Olivier since high school, and a mutual friend introduced us to Sylvie. We have always been fans of perfume. Therefore, they left their prestigious career in marketing and finance to create their own brand.
It all started with a boutique on the Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. No one expected our appearance in the highly competitive niche perfumery market. We appeared "out of nothing", which means EX NIHILO in Latin.
Today we already have six boutiques around the world, and the total number of countries where we are represented reaches 40. These are 200 locations around the world, from Europe to Asia and the USA.
About the brand
EX NIHILO is inspired by the avant-garde: a combination of modern technology with French perfumery and personalization.
If we were a car brand, then our competitors could be Bentley or Rolls-Royce. But we are definitely Tesla.
We love Concorde and Citroen SM, as well as all the items of the golden age of design in France of the 70s. This is our source of inspiration.
The brand has grown in recent years. Previously, we could only find EDP — Eau De Parfume — perfumed water. Today we have many other products in the lines of Bodyline, Extras, Sublime Essence, Sublime Mist.
How brand fragrances are created
We are trying to change the idea of a stereotypical suite and offer a new version of it. Surprisingly, it helps us that we are not perfumers and were able to offer completely new ideas to this conservative world. For us, fragrance is part of an exciting journey.
Our fragrances really come out of nothing. We are creating mudboards with a perfume concert, and I am writing a concept story for it. Then we send a request to the best perfumer Givaudan to develop the fragrance. This is part of the brief.
After that, perfumers develop the first version of the fragrance within a month. Then we meet again to choose one of the five options. This process can be repeated up to five times until we are absolutely sure of the final result.
Sometimes we spend a lot of time with perfumers because they use innovative ingredients and materials. We are always in favor of being more creative. There is no limit on the cost of ingredients for us. We don't have any focus groups and we don't do any marketing research. All that is important for us is a dialogue between perfumers and us, the founders of the brand.
About customers
Our clients are completely different. Basically, they are united by a love of non-standard and interesting perfumes. Some of them like our design and proximity to the avant-garde, while others just like personalization.
Perfumes have never been divided into women's and men's. This is a marketing move of the last century. Moreover, the views on male and female change from country to country. For example, our bestseller Fleur Narcotique is popular with women in Kazakhstan, and in Taiwan men will be interested in it. We are for everyone to wear what they like.
About brand development in Central Asia
The brand became available in Kazakhstan this year. So far, we have no plans to enter other markets in Central Asia, but everything is possible. We see how many of our fans in this region and in general people who are fond of High Perfumery.