Seinde Signature, Nigeria’s premier destination for niche fragrances, has marked a defining moment in the country’s fragrance culture with the official launch of Saudade, an artisanal scent created in collaboration with Spanish perfume house Botanicae.
The event, held in Lagos recently, was a celebration of sensory storytelling, cultural identity, and philanthropic legacy. It also marked the grand finale of Project #seinde365, a year-long initiative through which over 600 bottles of high-end niche perfumes were gifted to the public across Nigeria.
A Fragrant Legacy of Generosity
The campaign, launched in May 2024 to commemorate the 62nd birthday of Olufemi Olaseinde Olusola, CEO and founder, Seinde Signature, was designed to educate Nigerians on the depth, quality, and emotion behind niche fragrances often overlooked in a market dominated by mass-produced designer labels.
“I didn’t want my birthday to be just another party. I wanted it to be a legacy,” said Olusola.
“Giving away 600 bottles was not about records but creating a culture of appreciation for craftsmanship, beauty, and giving.”
The donated perfumes were sourced from the world’s leading fragrance houses and carried an estimated retail value worth millions of naira. According to Olusola, the initiative sparked both emotional resonance and business growth, leading to a more than 300 percent spike in Seinde Signature’s niche fragrance sales over the past year.
“People started asking for experiences, not just labels. That’s how we know this movement is working,” he added.
Saudade: Scent as Emotion
To crown the campaign’s end, Seinde Signature partnered with Botanicae, a Spain-based fragrance house led by Salvador Montesinos, a renowned perfumer. Together, they unveiled Saudade, a fragrance designed to evoke “melancholic joy,” rooted in Portuguese emotional philosophy.
“Saudade is about memory. It’s that bittersweet feeling of joy and longing. It’s not just a perfume, it is a journey,” explained Montesinos. “Our aim was to put a destination inside a bottle and let people travel through scent.”
Montesinos, who has spent nearly a decade sourcing raw perfume ingredients across East Africa and the Middle East, lauded Nigeria’s emerging appreciation for artisanal perfumery.
“There’s an incredible energy in Lagos. The people here care about their presence, their outfits, and increasingly, their scent. It’s inspiring,” he said.
A Multisensory Experience with Gelato
The Saudade launch went beyond traditional fragrance events by incorporating a first-of-its-kind experiential workshop, hosted in collaboration with Gelato and Coffee University, Nigeria’s leading training hub for artisan gelato and barista education.
Participants not only crafted their own signature fragrances under expert guidance but also tasted gelato flavors inspired by the Saudade scent profile; vanilla, pear, white chocolate, and woody notes.
“There’s dopamine in scent and taste,” said Demilola Olaniyi, Business Development Manager at Gelato and Coffee University.
“Our collaboration with Seinde Signature wasn’t just about flavor. It was about capturing emotion; happiness, nostalgia, joy, in every spoonful.”
“When people taste our Saudade-inspired gelato, we want them to feel exactly what they feel when they spray the perfume, elevated, delighted, remembered,” he added.
A Vision for Africa’s Fragrance Future
Olusola, widely referred to as the “King of Niche” in Nigeria, has plans to localize fragrance manufacturing in the future, though he insists that quality and education must lead.
“We do not intend to rush into production for the sake of it,” he noted. “Just like with music, you study the beats before you make a hit. We’re learning the rules globally so we can create fragrances that meet the highest standards.”
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