August 1508, Lopud Island, Adriatic Sea
A sunny island in the Adriatic, a small harbour with stone houses and fig trees. Across the verdant Mediterranean hills sprawls an aromatic landscape of cypress stands, pine, rosemary, thyme — and olive groves with their subtle, nutty scent.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
The mood is an unhurried afternoon near a stone harbor, with salt in the air and crushed herbs lingering on the hands. Green fig and savory olive nuances suggest a relaxed, tactile presence: sunlit rather than sparkling, with enough earthy texture to keep the sweetness in check.
How to wear
A natural fit for spring and summer, when its leafy, salty character can feel especially apt. Start with one or two sprays on exposed skin to let the herbal and mineral facets mingle in the air; in stronger heat, keep application light so the fig sweetness remains a soft accent.
Who it’s for
For those who enjoy leafy fig, aromatic herbs and coastal fragrances without overt aquatic sweetness. Its olive, clay and mineral facets will appeal to tastes that favor savory texture and a grounded green character over plush fruit or floral richness.
Release year
2024
The nose
Rodrigo Flores-Roux is known for richly textured compositions, expressive botanicals and a particular affinity for citrus and floral materials. His work includes Tom Ford Neroli Portofino and John Varvatos Artisan. For A Grove by the Sea, he worked with Carlos Huber to translate an Adriatic landscape into a green, aromatic composition with distinctive savory accents.
Collaborators
Carlos Huber shaped the fragrance’s creative concept from his experience of Lopud, working with Rodrigo Flores-Roux as fragrance designer. The island’s olive-growing heritage, fig orchards, aromatic vegetation and Renaissance architecture informed his vision.
Arquiste’s story
Arquiste approaches perfume as a reconstruction of a particular place and time. Founded by historic-preservation specialist Carlos Huber, the house combines historical research with contemporary perfumery, treating ingredients as a composition’s foundation, structure and ornament rather than simply a list of notes.
A Grove By The Sea’s concept
The inspiration came from Carlos Huber’s experience of Lopud, Croatia, where olive groves, fig orchards and herb-covered hills surround Renaissance architecture. The fragrance imagines August 1508 on the island: a small harbor, stone houses and wooded slopes threaded with salty air. That date belongs to its narrative, not its release.
Extra info
The composition distinguishes black olive from an extra-virgin olive-oil accord, giving its Mediterranean theme a notably savory dimension. It won Best Overall Niche Fragrance in the 2024 Marie Claire Fragrance Awards and also inspired an Arquiste perfumed candle.
August 1508, Lopud Island, Adriatic Sea
A sunny island in the Adriatic, a small harbour with stone houses and fig trees. Across the verdant Mediterranean hills sprawls an aromatic landscape of cypress stands, pine, rosemary, thyme — and olive groves with their subtle, nutty scent.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
The mood is an unhurried afternoon near a stone harbor, with salt in the air and crushed herbs lingering on the hands. Green fig and savory olive nuances suggest a relaxed, tactile presence: sunlit rather than sparkling, with enough earthy texture to keep the sweetness in check.
How to wear
A natural fit for spring and summer, when its leafy, salty character can feel especially apt. Start with one or two sprays on exposed skin to let the herbal and mineral facets mingle in the air; in stronger heat, keep application light so the fig sweetness remains a soft accent.
Who it’s for
For those who enjoy leafy fig, aromatic herbs and coastal fragrances without overt aquatic sweetness. Its olive, clay and mineral facets will appeal to tastes that favor savory texture and a grounded green character over plush fruit or floral richness.
Release year
2024
The nose
Rodrigo Flores-Roux is known for richly textured compositions, expressive botanicals and a particular affinity for citrus and floral materials. His work includes Tom Ford Neroli Portofino and John Varvatos Artisan. For A Grove by the Sea, he worked with Carlos Huber to translate an Adriatic landscape into a green, aromatic composition with distinctive savory accents.
Collaborators
Carlos Huber shaped the fragrance’s creative concept from his experience of Lopud, working with Rodrigo Flores-Roux as fragrance designer. The island’s olive-growing heritage, fig orchards, aromatic vegetation and Renaissance architecture informed his vision.
Arquiste’s story
Arquiste approaches perfume as a reconstruction of a particular place and time. Founded by historic-preservation specialist Carlos Huber, the house combines historical research with contemporary perfumery, treating ingredients as a composition’s foundation, structure and ornament rather than simply a list of notes.
A Grove By The Sea’s concept
The inspiration came from Carlos Huber’s experience of Lopud, Croatia, where olive groves, fig orchards and herb-covered hills surround Renaissance architecture. The fragrance imagines August 1508 on the island: a small harbor, stone houses and wooded slopes threaded with salty air. That date belongs to its narrative, not its release.
Extra info
The composition distinguishes black olive from an extra-virgin olive-oil accord, giving its Mediterranean theme a notably savory dimension. It won Best Overall Niche Fragrance in the 2024 Marie Claire Fragrance Awards and also inspired an Arquiste perfumed candle.
