Magazine

A moment with Curionoir founder Tiffany Jeans

The Auckland creative tells how scent shapes her life.

“Scent has always been an integral part of my life, from spending time as a young girl with my great-gran, who practised rongoā [traditional Māori medicine] in the bush, to now working with raw materials from around the globe to create a particular feeling. So many of my memories are sparked by scent. The smell of tupakihi and kūmarahou plants reminds me of my great-gran, and I associate the perfume Poison with my mum in the ’80s. 

Whānau, history, memories, books, friends… inspiration comes from everywhere. For me, ideas don’t seem to arrive at a scheduled date or in a particular place. I have no idea when they’ll come, and only about 1% of them actually eventuate into anything! 

For my new Clay Relic range, I focused on different periods of ancient Egypt. I did a lot of research and made contact with people all over the world while developing them and the new 415AD and Irtiu Nefertiti parfums. My muses were Hypatia and Nefertiti, incredible women who’ve inspired me since I learned about them in my formative years. 

SCENTS & SENSIBILITY Tiffany’s holistic creative process celebrates slow design. Her parfums and pieces are years in the making and go much deeper than the surface. Pictured above are items from her Clay Relic range and the reimagination of an ancient muse for her latest campaign.


I like to challenge the collaborators I work with, so together we can create something that extends our craft. For this project, I needed to work with someone who fully understood the concept — and Auckland potter Kirsten Dryburgh was perfect. She makes each clay vessel on a wheel, glazes them, then fires them in a kiln multiple times to achieve their unique finishes. The forms and fragrances created in this range embody the Curionoir ethos, capturing a time in history while holding a place in the present and future.”
curionoir.com; @curionoir

Portrait of Tiffany courtesy saucemag.co.nz

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