Ex Nihilo

EX NIHILO is a Parisian perfume house founded in 2013 by a young trio, comprising a woman and two men from Paris. Their goal was to create an alternative to stereotypical luxury products, as well as an alternative to customization that would still be mass-market. A decidedly avant-garde and creative approach. They say they capture the French spirit of pure refinement and express a unique vision of personalized luxury in all its forms. Naturally, they aspire to do so by drawing on the highest level of expertise available to them and luxurious raw materials well known in the world of perfumery. So who are the people behind this highly ambitious concept? And what, exactly, do they hope to bring to the table? Here's the answer. Meet the trio. The female member of the trio behind EX NIHILO is Sylvie Loday. She was born in Princeton, in the United States, to French parents. As a result, she grew up between two shores: the dynamic East Coast of the US and the tranquil coast of Brittany, where she spent most of her annual vacation. If you like, these were two different sensory worlds that shaped her from childhood. She says this is also the source of her appetite for travel, discovery, and meeting others. All of this nourished her, guided her, and helped her discover herself. Her olfactory memories are therefore a true melting pot, reflecting her complex cultural background: on one side, the ocean, with its salty tides and ebbs and flows, and the big cities of America, with pancakes and maple syrup. The second member of the trio is Olivier Royer, who was born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and a French father. This dual heritage was enriched by the nomadic life the family experienced as they moved with his diplomat father. Places including Stockholm, Manila, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Quebec, and Paris formed a kaleidoscope of images, sounds, sensations, and, of course, corresponding scents for the young boy. Among his first significant olfactory memories is a reception held in the sweltering heat in the tropical gardens of the French Embassy in the Philippines. The third member of the trio is Benoit Verdier. He was born in Provence, the land of perfume. He spent his childhood and teenage years between the mountains and the sea on the Mediterranean coast. His memories include the sweet, delicate scent of fig trees, the resin of the coastal pines in his parents' park, the invigorating scents of the winter months, the pungent smell of shrubs, and the scent of burned oak carried on the wind across the wild land. Benoit is also an avid cyclist, and you are likely to spot him riding his bike through the streets of the capital.