A FRAGRANCE TO CELEBRATE MENSTRUATION
This scent was part of a collaborative architecture project, titled "Taboo in the Loo," aimed at challenging societal taboos surrounding menstruation through an innovative combination of scent design and architectural space reimagining.
Fragrance
Menstrual Mix
Collaborator
Molly Hughes, Amanda Ménage
Exhibition
”RCA2023” at Truman Brewery
A Royal College of Art in London Showcase
the Architectural Concept
Molly Hughes’ architectural concept for "Taboo in the Loo" reimagined the bathroom as a setting to challenge menstrual taboos. This project envisioned the bathroom, a space traditionally associated with privacy and sterility, and transformed it into a thought-provoking arena that questions societal norms around menstruation. The design cleverly intertwined the bathroom's role with the broader cultural perceptions of female hygiene, encouraging visitors to reconsider and confront the stigmas attached to menstruation.
THE “menstrual mix” composition
Molly approached me with a clear brief, outlining her vision for a nuanced fragrance designed to evolve throughout the day, mirroring the changing emotions and odors during the menstrual cycle. After working through initial revisions, I created an updated perfume pyramid brief that reflected what was captured in the scent I eventually created for the show.
The show also included a second fragrance by perfumer Amanda Ménage, which was based on the same initial brief but interpreted in a different way.
Core Concept: The perfume's core fragrance changes, representing the shifting smells experienced during the different stages of the menstrual cycle.
Emotional Range: Fragrance notes were also selected to represent the diverse emotions women experience throughout their 28-day cycle.
Delivery System: The fragrance was designed to be distributed using air fresheners, programmed to release different notes at various times of the day. For the exhibition, the fragrance was distributed manually by participants using atomizers and fragrance strips.
The revised perfume pyramid showing the key notes, emotions, and associations throughout the menstrual cycle.
WHAT COMES NEXT
"Taboo in the Loo" was a groundbreaking project that successfully merged scent and architectural design to challenge deep-rooted societal norms. It’s our goal to continue this project and expand upon the work we’ve started. By engaging visitors' senses and intellect, we aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural processes of the female body and to contribute to the ongoing conversation about menstrual taboos in society.
You can learn more about Molly Hughes and the “Taboo in the Loo” project here.