Autumn 2026's Most Sophisticated Scent? It's Paper — Enter the Perfumeries Where Fragrance and Storytelling Blend
Two recent perfume-filled design projects confirm it: there's nothing sexier than being well-read
There are habits that the lowering of temperatures forces us to leave behind just for a little while, and habits that, with the return of autumn, finally get to thrive again. Reading, like paying attention to the way your home smells as you go back to spending more time inside, is one of the latter. And so it seems only fitting that two of the most recent scent-related news to have caught my eye unite the two: fragrance and storytelling.
For a while now, books and printed matter more widely have successfully infiltrated the lifestyle realm: Miuccia Prada's passion-project fashion label, Miu Miu, runs a yearly festival of feminist literature, the Miu Miu Literary Club, held in the maison's hometown of Milan and curated by London-based Italian author and researcher Olga Campofreda. Not far off the northern Italian design capital, in the oldest print factory of ever-sophisticated Paris at 146 Gal de Valois, retro-coded Papier Royal has made it into the pages of the world's most discerning titles as the ultimate destination for lovers of stationery and all things tactile.
Launched by multihyphenate creative director and artist Ramdane Touhami, the powerhouse behind the grand rebirth of Parisienne fragrance maison Officine Universelle Buly, in April 2026, the store has become an instant sensation for its gold-inscribed notebooks, stunningly cut envelopes, and nostalgic pens and pencils.
But Papier Royal isn't the only address putting the smell of paper front and center in its vision. So too is Aesop's Fragrant Fables Library, a temporary installation and public programme open at Aesop Regent Street until October 4, celebrating the 21st anniversary of the brand's fragrance debut, and French luxury homeware brand Astier de Villatte's new perfume and papeterie concept store at 171 Rue Saint-Honoré. Conceived as a conversation between the world of scent, design, and storytelling, both iterate what we have known all along: there is nothing sexier than being well-read.
Inside Autumn 2026's Paper and Fragrance Affair
Aesop's Fragrant Fables Library Makes "Each Fragrance a Fable. Each Fable a Question"
The original pop-up installation, on view at Aesop Regent Street through October 4, draws on the Greek fabulist the brand gets its name from to immerse visitors in a universe suspended between scent, memories, and the magic of storytelling.
Unveiled September 22, Aesop's Fragrant Fables Library marks the release of the brand's new collection of the same name, a conversation between aromatic, herbaceous notes and humans' centuries-long tradition of literature, across a series of olfactive experiences hosted across the house's London stores.
If Aesop's locations alone, with their design-forward, site-specific interiors by regular collaborators like Deidra Hodgson of recent London Épicerie fame, have traditionally been enough of a reason for Livingetc staff to rank the brand among the best concept stores to visit in the British capital, the Fragrant Fables Library takes its vision one step forward.
Until next Sunday, Aesop Regent Street becomes a temple to the senses, where fragrance, atmosphere, and storytelling evoke awe and awaken memories.
Here, olfactory and literary inspiration blend and merge into one.
At the heart of the display is a revisited edition of Aesop's 2014 Nasothèque exhibition. Like on that occasion, visitors are once again allowed to have their nose immortalized as an aromatic keepsake crafted in ceramic from a cast of their nasal features taken in-store.
As the full fragrance collection of Aesop is re-released for the anniversary, four other stores in London are each imbued with a specific blend from the line: Aesop Seven Dials carries the spirit of Entirely Aurner, described as "a fragrant fable about boldness" and accompanied by a constellation of large-scale nose sculptures; the Marylebone branch platforms Unforeseen Aer, Aesop's newest Eau de Parfum, capturing a tale of imperfection, with see-through panels embodying the movement and impalpable essence of pure air.
"What if the notes of a fragrance could provoke thoughts and stir emotions, much like a line of poetry? It is this notion that the new collection explores, offering discerning fragrance enthusiasts — and bibliophiles — a chance to pause and ponder," the Aesop team explains.
Aesop Piccadilly Arcade, meanwhile, will front Tacit Truths, a fragrant fable rooted in trust, with the spectacular Duke of York Square location dedicated to the ambery, woody Above Us, Steorra, "a celestial story of possibility and discovery", completed for the occasion with a dotted-in-telescopes set design. Only this Tuesday, September 29, here you'll find writer and creator of the Soho Reading Series Tom Willis leading a creative writing workshop delving into scent and memory.
Back on Regent Street, visitors are surrounded by a pendant installation composed of whimsical poems inspired by the narratives behind the Aesop fragrances.
Activated earlier last week by a reading exchange hosted by Isabella Burley of cult bookstore Climax Books (one of the invigorating addresses we spotlighted as an antidote to Blue Monday) for Aesop, the display shows that "to work with Aesop is to engage in an artistic dialogue," perfumer Céline Barel, the nose behind Tacit Truths and Entirely Aurner, says. "United by a 'rawness', elegantly tamed," she distils all Aesop fragrances as "an inimitable blend of nature and poetry."
Astier de Villatte
The birthplace of fragrance, France isn't new to perfumeries that stand out for their imaginative setup. The new Astier de Villatte address confirms scent smells even nicer when enveloped in fine paper.
Everyone who came across my story on the best stationery shops in London knows I am a sucker for these paper-and-ink parallel worlds. Launched by luxury homeware and ceramic maison Astier de Villatte earlier this summer, the new 171 Rue Saint-Honoré space looks more like a cabinet of curiosities than a traditional parfumerie.
Inside, the brand's bespoke notebooks and writing collections occupy just as much of the Art Deco-coded shelving as its signature white-glazed ceramics and fragrance range, including perfumes and candles for a multilayered experience.
Only on September 10, Astier de Villatte welcomed a new entry to its Destination perfume collection, Tanger. Like the rest of the blends gathered in this line, which strives to capture the atmosphere and character of the most disparate geographical locations, Tanger too is an invitation "to travel through scent", heavy with the sweetness of botanical gardens in bloom, the freshness of bergamot, maté, and musk, and the spice of citrus fruits.
A closer look at the statement perfumes and fragrance bottles of Astier de Villatte, first established in 1996 by Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli.
A scent and papeterie haven, the latest Astier de Villatte location reminds us, once again, of how more and more lifestyle shops are embracing a home-like look, as we have seen with many of the coolest new design destinations in London.
Remove the objects meticulously displayed for sale in it, and the 171 Rue Saint-Honoré boutique suddenly looks like the library of a palatial residence, with checkered tiled floors, cream-painted wooden cabinets, and shimmering chandeliers taking center stage in it.
Are new shops all about engages the senses, and trick us, even if just for one moment, that there is no need to rush elsewhere? Judge for yourself, but we think this may be the case.
As autumn stages its comeback, so does our urge to enjoy the spaces we inhabit to the fullest, and fragrance and literature both acquire renewed relevance. Could this unexpected trait d'union embody a surfacing trend in retail design — replacing futuristic installations and 'special effects' with the sensory experiences we know best?
I don't know about you, but were it the case, they'll have a new loyal customer willing to spend hours getting lost in smells, memories, and the most disparate stories.
Get on the Fragrance-Paper Trend
Scent is one of the most subjective of senses, and so it all only makes sense that Aesop wants each visitor of its Fragrant Fables Library to immortalize their nose as the maker behind it all. Don't miss your chance to do so.
In need of more fragrance tips? See how smell can revolutionize your soirees by taking notes on expert do's and don'ts for scentscaping at dinner parties.
For more October highlights, revisit our guide to the very best of autumn in London, or head to SoHo's Bar Leone (mentally or physically) for cocktail hour done right.
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