It was back in 2018 when Chris was taking his usual meander through Journal Standard Store in Tokyo that he came across (what was then named) Apotheke Fragrance. So often fragrance brands can have a few stand out scents that bring you in to the brand, but all of these were an obvious knockout. The packaging and feel of Apotheke were also on point – clean, fresh designs mixed with a great story, just what we love here at PPHH. A mutual appreciation of our brands’ ethos was shared, a connection made and just like that, APFR slotted in to the PPHH world beautifully.
Founded by Keita Sugasawa in 2011, APFR is influenced by traditional fragrances, herbal medicine culture, natural philosophy, food, music and art from around the world. The brand has a contemporary design, however, lays its foundation in ancient Japanese subtleties and attention to detail. This attention to detail was apparent when we approached APFR to collaborate with us for
our 10th birthday.
Initially we shared examples of local flora from the Melbourne area with
the team so they could begin to hand craft some scents in their workshop. We were
fortunate enough to have the team (Keita, Rui & Fuka) fly out to Melbourne for a visit where we took them for a nature walk around town to grab more inspiration – the Merri Creek and Yarra trails being particularly fruitful. Many concoctions were crafted, shared and voted upon to finally rest with the PPHH x APFR signature scent aptly named “Gertrude”- after the wonderful street we call home.
“Gertrude” showcases hints of Musk, Amber, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Pine, Cedar Leaf & Fern all in a custom designed tube with a (painstakingly hand applied) PPHH sticker. Each stick is hand dipped in APFR’s workshop and burns for 100 minutes.
We are so proud to bring this truly collaborative effort to our customers and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
