The Art of Quiet: AVII and the Case for Stillness
Written by Ina Prouty
In a fragrance world that often prizes projection, longevity, and potency above all else, there isn't much space left for what I'd call quiet perfumery. Yet it exists, and it finds those who seek it. It's not quite the same as skin scents - another long-running trend. The distinction is subtler than that. Quiet perfumery isn't about disappearing. It's about anchoring you in the present moment, adding a certain stillness to a perpetually overstimulated mind.
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One of the few brands that pursues this intentionally is AVII. A Spanish niche house founded in 2025 by Artur Grigoryan, built on the belief that authentic perfumery requires working directly with artisans. The house currently offers four fragrances - Oss, Prana, Mushin, and Yugen - all created by French perfumer Céline Guivarc'h, whose work is known for its lucid, emotionally resonant style.
Sustainability is treated here as a genuine principle rather than a marketing claim. Fragrances are kept pure without unnecessary additives, and the packaging reflects the same thinking: screenprinted bottles with ash wood caps, boxes wrapped in embossed paper, no foam, rubber, or plastic. The philosophy, as the brand puts it, is perfume as signature rather than statement - quiet elegance, Japandi at its core.
Mushin has already won hearts, including at the most recent Esxence in Milan. Its name refers to the Japanese concept of "empty mind" - a still, uncluttered state of being that the fragrance captures perfectly. Built around green tea, rice, and immortelle, it's an aromatic green composition rendered in pastel, minimalist strokes reminiscent of Jean-Claude Ellena - airy and elegant, with an understated intelligence that slows you down and brings you back to yourself.
Yugen is a rather unique pairing of ripe pear and tuberose, but not in the expected indolic, bubblegummy way - this tuberose is more lightheared, less bosomy, as if diluted just enough to give you a feeling of lightness rather than heaviness. Diffused and luminous, the kind of fragrance that doesn't ask much of you, just accompanies you softly.
Prana really plays up the licorice-like notes - fennel, angelica, and clove weave through the composition with that shared green, aromatic, almost apothecary quality, with soft spices grounding it into something warm and distinctly its own. It's an unusual combination that somehow feels completely natural, like a remedy you didn't know you needed.
Oss, my personal favorite, is built around Nagarmotha - a dry, smoky, woody ingredient with an earthy depth reminiscent of damp soil and moss-covered bark. It's weightless yet anchoring, where even the bolder notes like black pepper and patchouli feel restrained and ethereal rather than dense or overwhelming. Of all four, it has the most presence - beautifully balanced, without ever crossing into too much.
AVII perfumes possess this sheerness that feels like a calming flow over your body. The themes explored are familiar, but reinterpreted through a modern lens and incredibly easy to wear. There's a sense that you're meant to connect with each fragrance and find your own - they feel deeply intentional, as if your well-being is always the priority. Because quiet perfumery isn't the absence of presence - it's just a different kind of it.