This deep and dark aquatic perfume takes you from the salty warmth of beach pebbles straight into the whispering waves, and eventually down to the inky fathoms inhabited by giant squids. Feel the caress of tentacles of incense — initially menacing, ultimately comforting.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Squid suits a close, introspective setting where the air feels still and the room is dim rather than loud. It projects a composed, slightly enigmatic presence: salty, smoky and mineral, with a soft resinous warmth that reads as thoughtful rather than flashy.
How to wear
Best in cooler weather or air-conditioned spaces, where its incense, ink and ambergris facets can unfold without becoming heavy. Apply sparingly at first; the extrait concentration gives it presence, but a light hand keeps the salty-marine effect polished and the drydown smooth on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like unconventional marine scents, smoky resins and mineral textures more than bright aquatic freshness. It will appeal to people drawn to artistic, atmospheric perfumes with a clean edge, dark mood and a slightly abstract, unisex character.
Release year
2019
The nose
Céline Barel Céline Barel is known for building fragrances with strong texture and contrast, often balancing clarity with depth. Her work tends to feel architectural and tactile, with a talent for turning unusual briefs into compositions that remain wearable. For Squid, she shaped a marine scent around ink, salt, incense and resin rather than literal oceanic freshness, giving the fragrance its dark, atmospheric character. The result reflects her skill at making challenging ideas feel polished and emotionally legible.
Collaborators
Victor Wong of Zoologist shaped the animal-inspired creative brief and overall concept, guiding the brand’s fantasy-world approach to the squid theme while Céline Barel translated it into scent with IFF.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances as imaginative portraits of animals rather than literal nature studies, using scent to create a stylised fantasy world. The house favours originality, narrative and artistic risk, often choosing unusual materials and structures over easy mainstream appeal.
Squid’s concept
Squid was conceived as a dark aquatic story, moving from beach pebbles and salty air into deeper, inky waters. Barel described the challenge of avoiding any fishy effect, instead building the composition around incense, salt, ink and a resinous warmth that makes the marine theme feel strange but wearable.
Extra info
Squid was released in 2019 as an extrait de parfum and won The Fragrance Foundation’s 2020 Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year. It was also a finalist in the 2020 Art and Olfaction Awards. Zoologist describes it as a sea song told through brine, incense and cloudy ink.
This deep and dark aquatic perfume takes you from the salty warmth of beach pebbles straight into the whispering waves, and eventually down to the inky fathoms inhabited by giant squids. Feel the caress of tentacles of incense — initially menacing, ultimately comforting.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Squid suits a close, introspective setting where the air feels still and the room is dim rather than loud. It projects a composed, slightly enigmatic presence: salty, smoky and mineral, with a soft resinous warmth that reads as thoughtful rather than flashy.
How to wear
Best in cooler weather or air-conditioned spaces, where its incense, ink and ambergris facets can unfold without becoming heavy. Apply sparingly at first; the extrait concentration gives it presence, but a light hand keeps the salty-marine effect polished and the drydown smooth on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like unconventional marine scents, smoky resins and mineral textures more than bright aquatic freshness. It will appeal to people drawn to artistic, atmospheric perfumes with a clean edge, dark mood and a slightly abstract, unisex character.
Release year
2019
The nose
Céline Barel Céline Barel is known for building fragrances with strong texture and contrast, often balancing clarity with depth. Her work tends to feel architectural and tactile, with a talent for turning unusual briefs into compositions that remain wearable. For Squid, she shaped a marine scent around ink, salt, incense and resin rather than literal oceanic freshness, giving the fragrance its dark, atmospheric character. The result reflects her skill at making challenging ideas feel polished and emotionally legible.
Collaborators
Victor Wong of Zoologist shaped the animal-inspired creative brief and overall concept, guiding the brand’s fantasy-world approach to the squid theme while Céline Barel translated it into scent with IFF.
Zoologist’s story
Zoologist builds fragrances as imaginative portraits of animals rather than literal nature studies, using scent to create a stylised fantasy world. The house favours originality, narrative and artistic risk, often choosing unusual materials and structures over easy mainstream appeal.
Squid’s concept
Squid was conceived as a dark aquatic story, moving from beach pebbles and salty air into deeper, inky waters. Barel described the challenge of avoiding any fishy effect, instead building the composition around incense, salt, ink and a resinous warmth that makes the marine theme feel strange but wearable.
Extra info
Squid was released in 2019 as an extrait de parfum and won The Fragrance Foundation’s 2020 Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year. It was also a finalist in the 2020 Art and Olfaction Awards. Zoologist describes it as a sea song told through brine, incense and cloudy ink.