Whiffs of Fashion

Scandinavian usually reads a a synonym for minimalism, but in the case of AGONIST we’re reaching the borders of haute couture rather than entering the world of wooden furniture and tasteful design. And that’s actually no surprise considering the forces behind the label have a history in fashion. AGONIST is founded by Christine and Niclas Lydeen, partners in life and creativity. Christine is the one with a background in fashion, who decided to trade her Parisian life for a future in Sweden. That’s where and when she met Niclas, an Art Director and visual artist. The two hooked up and decided to focus on perfume instead, baptizing their label AGONIST, as in agony or pain. A pretty ironic tongue-in-cheek name considering the fact perfume exalts nothing but delight. They operate under the poetic tagline: “Unique fragrances embraced by handcrafted Swedish glass”.

So far, AGONIST has launched a series of nine scents that are ranged from ethereal to audacious, approaching the art of smell like an intriguing spectrum. Bearing in mind their professional history, Christine and Niclas consider the packaging to be equally important as the perfume itself. You can opt to have your scent bottled in limited handmade crystal bottles in their sculpture line or to take it with you in a more subdued uniform spray bottle. The latter are uniform, but every scent is recognisable through the variable colour of the small droplet on the bottom of the flask. It subtly relates to the colour of their more extravagant counterpartyed art bottles. The fragrances are therefor color-coded. The bottle label provides a full list of ingredient notes. In short AGONIST is about perfume as a multi-sensorial statement-piece. There’s something mesmerizing about them, maybe because those bottles hold something that is just as intangible and beautiful as the Northern Light.