*Apartment's conceptual fragrances are inspired by still images

What led you to start *Apartment?

Historically I had little interest in perfume and the fragrance industry in general and never wore fragrances. However, about 10 years ago a shift in the industry started and it piqued my curiosity. It was driven by technological advancements, as well as a growing collective desire to a break away from the sameness that cluttered the commercial perfume shelves. One particular nose, Sissel Tolaas, and the left-field work she did, fascinated me. From then, I was hooked.

What inspired the minimalist aesthetic of the *Apartment brand?

Strangely, I don't see the brand as minimalist; I would find it too stifling. What I have tried to do is create a primary brand language that is strong and identifiable, but that says little enough on its own to allow space for me to play within the secondary branding language. I knew from the get-go that if I tied the brand to too narrow an aesthetic I would get tired of it and our love affair would cease.

There are six fragrances in the *Apartment family, each with a unique personality. Can you take us through your creative process when creating a scent?

I don't develop thinking about people; I work with a process of creating the scent of a still image. The breaking down of a single image into what I perceive its elements to be and what they evoke, whether simple and obvious or obscure and subjective. I then attempt to reconstruct that into a cohesive and wearable scent.

I find the narrative of fragrance trying to tell a story dated and I try to make *Apartment and its scents devoid of this romantic notion. Perhaps what initially drew me to study photography was being drawn to how a single image, because it lacks the desired cushioning of a story, can leave the viewer just a little uncomfortable, that's where the magic lies. I want to bring this element of discomfort into my scents. I think if I had a person in mind while working that tension would be lost.

Describe the mood of *Apartment using three words.

Obscure, curious and ugly-beautiful.

As the nose, what are some of your favourite fragrance ingredients to work with, and why?

I work with a large palette of both naturals and synthetics. Little can hold a candle to the depth that naturals offer because they contain hundreds of molecules. The natural gloriousness of Please Wait Here would not be possible without the terpene-rich notes that Honoki, a Japanese cypress, offers.

I built that fragrance supporting it with almost only other naturals. At other times I find naturals limiting as they can only ever smell like naturally occurring things. Many of my ideas are too abstract and obscure to be realised through what they offer - I want to be able to create the scent of neon yellow or perhaps toy with dancing whiffs of burnt rubber and ink.

Your favourite *Apartment fragrance, and why?

Probably Please and Thank You as she lives so much past her creation. She's often picked by folk curious about more conceptual fragrances and I find those people interesting to interact with. Also, as with many single-molecule fragrances, she changes drastically from one wearer to the next, and that fascinates me. From dry Japanese incense and fresh laundry to woods that don't exist, pencil shavings, ink and skin, I'm constantly enthralled by her changing moods, as is the wearer.

Your favourite city to travel to, and why?

Osaka. It offers a very different side of Japan to how the Western media portrays it, and the food is unbelievable.

• Visit *Apartment's website or find the brand on Instagram here.