Huemn's New Fragrance Is A Fluid Intersection Of Experimentation & Raw Sensuality

As a brand Huemn has consistently indicated its commitment to defying the status quo across a streetwear and fashion space where everyone’s trying to stand out in their own right. For them, it’s less about being different for the sake of being different and more about creating aesthetics and narratives that feel vivid, raw, and unfettered by expectation. Their collections manage to toe the line between being provocative, refined and unfiltered; channelling a fluidly dynamic set of silhouettes and shapes with every collection they release.   

With their fingers firmly on the pulse of the cultural and societal shifts that are taking place in the country they’ve taken a bold step into a realm that’s ripe for the experimentation and the exploration that they’ve thus far coveted as a brand — fragrance. 

‘Huemn Pheromones’ is a unisex perfume that the brand calls a “harmonious blend of chemistry and artistry”.  Created in partnership with 7 generation-old homegrown perfumery, Olfa Originals, Huemn Pheromones aims to distil the full measure of the two brands’ legacy of artistry, craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail; crafting a fluidly sublime olfactory experience that ebbs, flows and evolves as a person goes about their day or night. 

“I wanted that strong provocative statement when you walk into a room; where you just can’t be ignored by virtue of how good you smell,” says Heumn founder Pranav Misra. “The landing notes of the perfume are chilly and basil which is a strong punch you absolutely cannot ignore but then it slowly settles into more floral and softer tones over a period of two or three hours as it reacts to your skin.” 

The bottle itself has been meticulously handcrafted with leather and borrows heavily from Heumn’s signature ‘Devil’ motif; drawing a clear parallel between the aesthetic and narrative identity of the brand’s multiple lines. “There was a particular ‘Indian-ness’ that I wanted in this perfume and I wanted the packaging and the design to be equally globally relevant.” Pranav also says that the brand is looking at this as a way to test the waters as they venture further and further into the realm of perfume. 

As a creative director, Pranav is straightforward about the fact that his process is as fluid and dynamic as the products he creates and that very little is set in stone when it comes to him interpreting and actualizing his vision.

“I never really sat down and planned the campaign out. My creative process is such that most things happen as sort of happy accidents. When I’m designing a campaign it’s more me trying to dig out what’s inside my head. There is no agenda, end to product or motive that I have. I see it as a creative playground where I get to cut myself off from my day-to-day role as an entrepreneur and find what’s inside me.”

What’s really captured the attention of the zeitgeist, however, is the Pheromones’ explicitly sensual promotional campaign, which features models caked in lubricant; transfixed in apparent ecstasy by the Huemn’s devil-horned bottle. Directed by Pranav himself, the campaign in many ways encapsulates the brand's willingness to be bold, unabashed, and even in your face when it comes to realizing its creative vision. For Pranav, it was the form of lubricant that made it the obvious choice to relay the raw sexual and sensual energy of pheromones as a substance. 

“Lubricant as a material has been underexplored, particularly in India, so that’s something I really wanted to play with. It was obviously very challenging in terms of producing it but as a material, it was very inspiring.”

As the campaign for Pheromones unfolds over the course of the next few days Pranav says we’re going see the full range of undertones, emotions, and motifs that Huemn as a brand has been built upon over the years, from love to lust to sexuality and even violence. In this way Huemn aims to not just decorate the cultural landscape that we live in but to also hold up a mirror to the very fabric of society; warts and all. 

You can follow Olfa Originals here.

You can follow Huemn here.

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