The art of smellmaxxing
Clothes are worn for everyone to see, while fragrance, in contrast, is like an invisible accessory. It is noticed gradually, often only when someone comes close enough to the wearer to notice it. Rather than defining appearance, perfume shapes atmosphere and memory—one often buys fragrance to evoke a feeling or express a mood, and behind every unforgettable scent are notes that capture the intangible and bottling what words alone cannot express.
Last weekend at SM Mall of Asia, new fragrance brand Gramiix unveiled its debut through an immersive pop-up that invited guests to experience fragrance beyond the perfume bottle, transforming memory into something that could be seen, heard, tasted, and felt.
Made in the Philippines, Gramiix introduces itself as more than a fragrance brand. The brand’s name reflects this philosophy. “Gra” draws from gravity, the invisible force that pulls us toward moments that define us, while “Miix” represents the blending of emotion and time into a lasting sensory experience.
Known for his distinctive approach to fashion, home, dining and lifestyle products, Ben Chan, founder of the lifestyle brand Bench and chairman of Suyen Corporation, announced that its new fragrance brand aims to capture the essence of modern living through a collection of thoughtfully-crafted scents. The expansion reflects the growing trend among lifestyle companies to create brand experiences that extend beyond apparel and accessories.
“We’ve been in the fragrance business for many years. Some of our earliest Bench fragrances, such as Bambino, Atlantis and Bench/8, have remained market bestsellers for decades. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with celebrities, designers and artists, while also developing our own fragrance lines, including Organics and Better Made. Even as the country’s leading local fragrance company, we’ve learned that the fragrance industry never stands still. Consumer tastes evolve, new ingredients and accords emerge, and the appreciation for perfumery continues to deepen,” says Chan.
“Gramiix is a response to that evolution. We saw a growing segment of consumers who have become more knowledgeable and discerning about fragrance. They understand the difference between gourmand and aquatic profiles. They ask about fragrance oil concentration, longevity, projection and sillage. They appreciate compositions that are more layered and nuanced. Gramiix was created specifically for this audience. Gramiix allows us to explore more sophisticated scent structures, distinctive olfactive identities, and a stronger point of view as a fragrance brand. It fills a space in the market for consumers who are ready to discover fragrances with greater complexity, character and craftsmanship,” he adds.
This philosophy came to life through an experiential pop-up. At the center stood the five fragrances of Gramiix, and rather than asking guests to simply smell perfume, the pop-up offered multiple ways to engage with the collection through art, taste, sound, and design.
At the pop-up was Flora Obscura, a floral installation by Manila-based floral artist Pierre Capati which was inspired by the scent April 31st, while Bench Coffee Station interpreted the Mandarin Caramel and Persona fragrances with espresso creations that reflected the sweet gourmand notes in both fragrances. Sunday Street Co. translated every fragrance into dessert experiences, while The Curator offered cocktails inspired by the notes of the Bare Nude, Cocktail Hour, and April 31st fragrances.
Completing the experience was an ambient soundscape curated by DJ Margaonthemic. Presented through individual headphones placed throughout the pop-up, the audio compositions encouraged guests to pause and immerse themselves in the emotional atmosphere surrounding each fragrance. The curated soundtrack for each scent reinforces the idea that memory is shaped not only through scent, but also through sound and emotion.
“Gramiix is built around the idea that fragrance is one of the strongest triggers of memory and emotion. Every scent begins with a feeling, a place, or a moment—whether it’s the warmth of a late night in a jazz bar such as in Cocktail Hour or the quiet comfort of clean bare skin such in Bare Nude. The challenge was that the possibilities were almost limitless. We had to decide which stories were worth telling and, more importantly, how to translate those emotions into a fragrance that people could connect with. It’s a balance between creating something immediately appealing and introducing people to scent combinations they may not have experienced before but could ultimately grow to love. Creating Gramiix was an exercise in curiosity and restraint. We wanted each fragrance to feel both familiar and unexpected—inviting people to rediscover memories while also creating new ones,” adds Chan.
After the popular 10-step Korean skincare routine, skinification of the scalp, another trend gaining attention particularly with Gen Z and Alpha teenage boys is the idea of “smellmaxxing.” The trend really isn’t anything new, but simply put, it is the deliberate layering of various fragrances to have your unique personal scent. “As the fragrance market becomes more sophisticated, Filipino consumers are becoming more discerning. They are no longer buying a fragrance based solely on branding or a compelling story. They want to understand what is inside the bottle—its ingredients, concentration, and composition, and how it performs on the skin. With Gramiix, we’ve embraced that shift. We openly identify the top, mid and base notes of every fragrance and invest in training our retail teams so they can explain not just what a scent smells like, but why it smells that way,” explains Chan.
“Another trend we’re seeing is the growing interest in fragrance layering. More Filipinos are treating fragrance as a form of self-expression, combining scents to create something uniquely their own. Rather than wearing a single fragrance, they’re experimenting with different combinations that interact with their skin chemistry. That’s why we designed Gramiix’s five fragrances to work beautifully on their own or layered together. One fragrance can serve as a foundation while another adds a distinctive character. For example, layering the leathery notes of Cocktail Hour with the aromatic profile of April 31st creates a rich, woody fragrance with subtle liquor-like nuances. Pairing the citrus-gourmand notes of Mandarin Caramel with the spicy character of Persona produces a warm, cozy scent with sweet musky depth,” adds Chan.
Chan’s personal favorite is the scent Barely Nude—he favors clean scents and this evokes bare skin with its powdery notes and hints of lemon and cedar and sandalwood. After testing all fragrances at the launch, the scent I’m currently experimenting on is the scent Cocktail Hour layered with one of my existing perfumes in rotation. Having some familiarity with fragrance after taking a few classes on perfume making in the UK, this for me was the most unusual out of the five, with its leathery profile and saffron notes similar to the Filipino cooking ingredient kasubha. If you’re the type looking for something new to add to your fragrance “wardrobe,” this would be a good addition. Creative consultant Noel Manapat added, “this is probably the fragrance Filipinos don’t know they will want.”
The unisex Eau de Parfum collection is formulated using IFRA-certified fragrance oils and a high-concentration hydro-alcoholic base designed to linger on skin and clothing for up to nine hours. With plans to expand into personal care and home fragrances, Gramiix marks the beginning of a broader sensory universe. Perhaps that is the enduring magic of perfume and why it continues to thrive in an increasingly digital world. It cannot be streamed, downloaded, or fully experienced through a screen—long after a room has emptied and a conversation has ended, fragrance lingers—quietly carrying memories, emotions and identities wherever it goes.
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Gramiix Eau de Parfum collection is priced at P750 for 30 ml and P1,595 for 100 ml, available at SM Mall of Asia.
