The Art of Intention — A Conversation with the Founder of Aqualis London
Written by Ally Santos
Tucked within the prestigious perfume halls of Harrods, Aqualis London is a reflection of its founder’s soul. Steyn Grobler, a South African industry veteran with over a decade of experience at some of the world’s most prestigious perfume houses, has poured that experience—and his passion—into Aqualis London, an independent brand founded in 2015 that embraces craftsmanship, storytelling, and a refined sensibility. It is a story of passion, precision, and deeply personal vision.
Steyn Grober / Photo from the personal album
When I sat down with Steyn, his enthusiasm was immediate. “I didn’t create Aqualis just to add more scents to the market,” he said. “I wanted to create meaningful fragrances—ones that connect, that say something.”
From South Africa to the Heart of London
Steyn’s journey to founding Aqualis began long before the first bottle was poured. Born and raised in South Africa, he moved to England as a teenager and quickly found himself drawn to the world of fragrance. “Scent is memory, it’s emotion, it’s identity,” he told me. After years of working behind the scenes for major perfume houses, Steyn took the leap and launched his own line, driven by a desire to create something truly personal.
Aqualis exists as the equilibrium between perfume (Aqua) and the self (Qualis), Steyn’s belief that fragrance transcends gender and convention. “I didn’t want to box people in. A scent should speak to the person wearing it—not their demographic,” he said.
Steyn Grober / Photo from the personal album
Having worked on the corporate side of perfumery, Steyn understood both the art and the constraints of the business. Aqualis became his way to shed limitations and work with freedom. “I collaborate with incredible perfumers, and together we build something authentic. Each fragrance begins with a clear emotion, a mood, or a place in mind.”
Engineering Beauty: The Aqualis Flacon
The Aqualis bottle is unlike anything else on the market. With its elongated, teardrop shape and matte white finish—as seen in the fragrance Canvas—the flacon feels more like an objet d’art than a traditional perfume bottle. “I wanted the design to evoke purity and elegance,” Steyn said. “It’s soft in appearance but technically quite complex.The bottles are sculptural flacons, which are as much a part of the story as the juice itself. The design, inspired by an ostrich egg and a calabash (a type of gourd), is both symbolic and striking.
From a tactile standpoint, it’s engineered for presence. The base is solid and weighted for balance, while the magnetic closure offers a crisp, satisfying snap. The brand name is etched in gold, understated yet unmistakable. “We wanted something that felt luxurious, but still clean and minimalist,” Steyn added. “Something you’d want to display, not just store.”
Photo from the brand’s album
The flacon reinforces what Aqualis stands for: quiet luxury, architectural grace, and a personal ritual that starts the moment you reach for the bottle.
A Collection Rooted in Emotion
Today, Aqualis boasts a carefully curated wardrobe of 13 fragrances—plus a Harrods exclusive—each crafted with meticulous detail and artistic intention. These are not trend-driven perfumes. They’re built to last, to tell stories, and to evoke feelings that linger long after the scent dries down.
Among the standout fragrances in the Aqualis collection is Coda, a hauntingly elegant composition that feels like the soft sigh at the end of a beautiful song. It's a fragrance about endings and transitions—woodsy, musky, and quietly emotional.
Then there’s Utopia, a scent that is both comforting and radiant. It captures that fleeting moment of stillness where everything feels exactly right—an olfactive interpretation of peace in a bottle.
Canvas, which Steyn describes as “a blank slate elevated,” is a minimalist masterpiece. But don’t let its simplicity fool you—this is a fragrance of quiet sophistication, with a clean, musky skin scent that feels effortless and deeply personal.
Kruger is Steyn’s tribute to his South African roots. Wild, lush, and verdant, it evokes the raw beauty and rich biodiversity of the Kruger National Park. It’s a scent that feels deeply grounded, earthy, and alive.
And finally, there’s Kalahari, a fragrance inspired by the sun-drenched expanse of the Kalahari Desert. Warm, spiced, and enduring, it settles into the skin like sunlight on sand—soft, expansive, and unforgettable.
Each scent is genderless, thoughtfully constructed, and emotionally resonant. “I don’t rush the process,” Steyn said. “Each launch has to feel right. It’s about quality, not quantity.”
Steyn Grober / Photo from the personal album
A Home in Harrods—and Beyond
Aqualis currently has a boutique presence within Harrods, one of the world’s most iconic department stores. And soon, it will expand into a dedicated counter, offering an even more immersive experience for fragrance lovers.
“To be part of Harrods is such an honor,” Steyn said. “It’s a place where people come to discover—and that’s what Aqualis is all about: discovery.”
The Harrods-exclusive fragrance is a testament to that relationship—crafted especially for this luxurious setting, it captures the spirit of both the brand and its prestigious home.
Looking Ahead
With expansion on the horizon and a growing global following, Aqualis remains grounded in its founding values: artistic integrity, emotional storytelling, and uncompromising quality.
When I asked Steyn what excites him most about the future, he paused, then smiled. “That moment when someone tries one of our fragrances and says, ‘This feels like me.’ That’s everything.”
In a world of loud branding and fleeting trends, Aqualis London offers something quieter, more soulful—and far more lasting.