3oud.com meets Benoît Verdier to learn more about the brand, its vision, and what makes it unique.

How did the idea of EX NIHILO come about?

I met my partner Olivier 20 years ago at Science Po in Paris, and we met our partner Sylvie 8 years ago. We then decided it was time to leave our private jobs and do something more exciting, which was perfume making. It has truly been a pioneering adventure from day one!

We have long been passionate about perfumes and wanted to create a brand that represented our perceptions and tried to bring a new energy to it. We wanted to bring back the idea of ultra-exclusivity in perfumes with a distinctive touch, presenting French perfume in an advanced and unconventional way. We had the opportunity to find an amazing place on Rue Saint-Honoré for our launch. Everyone was surprised by our brand because the word EX NIHILO in Latin means "created from nothing."

We had no specific plans, and in our dreams, we hoped to have a flagship store in the most luxurious neighborhoods of Paris and be distributed in the most prestigious and exclusive stores worldwide, including Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman. Today, our dream has come true! We are now present in 22 countries through nearly 70 points of sale, including Bloomingdales and Harvey Nichols in Kuwait!

How do you source your ingredients?

We source our ingredients according to the strictest protocols worldwide: from France (Grasse) for the May Centifolia rose, Tuscany in Italy for the iris, and Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar. We only choose the best quality regardless of cost.

Today, we focus on the most demanding sustainability programs, reducing our carbon footprint, exploring biosciences, and enhancing social awareness because we believe all these elements are the future of high-end perfumery!

I've heard that the founders of EX NIHILO have a passion for all things vintage. How has this passion influenced your brand?

Olivier is crazy about vintage sports cars, with a strong focus on everything red and Italian, while I am more interested in collecting vintage 1980s designs from France and Italy.

We love the finest traditions and things with strong emotional connections and stories that were ahead of their time, which is what you feel when experiencing EX NIHILO's creations. We make sure to respect the profession's traditions while presenting them in a contemporary way.

Tell us about Osmologue, the perfume blending machine. We've heard it's only available in select cities. How does it work?

This machine is the centerpiece of our main service available at our flagship store in Paris and very limited locations worldwide. It is truly a comprehensive fragrance experience. The client can visit the store or schedule a private appointment (which we recommend).

Then we engage the client to deeply understand what they are looking for through a detailed discussion about their taste, personality, or specific needs. The client will have the opportunity to smell pure scents like Rose of May from Grasse, Iris Pallida from Italy, and Orange Blossom from Morocco, and also try all our compositions according to their mood. All these combinations are, of course, validated by our perfumers here in Paris.

Once the choice is made, we proceed to create the perfume composition thanks to Osmologue, the exclusive technology we envisioned to design the fragrance right in front of the clients' eyes. It is fun and exciting to see your creation being made, including the blending and sealing of the bottle.

For the first time, the client can leave with their unique creation without waiting weeks for the result. The client will have their certificate of authenticity with the name, the customized materials we used, and a unique identification number. We also keep all their preferences in our database so we can provide the highest level of customer service. We like to think it's a game-changing experience compared to other perfume brands.

What makes EX NIHILO stand out from other perfume brands?

We try to challenge typical luxury and offer a whole new luxury experience. Surprisingly, not being perfumers ourselves has helped us think outside the box and bring new ideas to the fragrance experience as a complete journey. We found that the classic image of the creative director is completely outdated. You are more creative and efficient when working with people who complement your skills. Collaboration is at the core of our DNA, and we draw inspiration from many areas of the artistic community, such as fashion, architecture, design, and photography.

What is your all-time favorite EX NIHILO fragrance, and why?

On a personal level, it would be Fleur Narcotique. I love the fragrance as much as the story behind it. I first met master perfumer Quentin Bisch when creating this fragrance. Fleur Narcotique was the first perfume produced by EX NIHILO. It is the most successful and best-selling. When I first smelled it, it was something truly amazing. Even if I don't wear it, it is the perfume my wife wears, and I love it for that reason. I smell it every day because she wears it for me, but also for herself first.

What was the biggest challenge you faced during the pandemic?

Maintaining the connection with our perfumers, who were very worried about the effects of COVID on their smelling abilities. But in the end, we made it, and surprisingly, the pandemic taught us to work differently and maintain a closer relationship with our customers through social media and invent new ways to propose the ultimate fragrance experience through individual experiences and private appointments.

What is your first "scent memory"?

My roots extend to southern France, so when I smell a scent or ingredient that reminds me of my father's garden in southern France, I am transported there: pine trees, fig trees, lavender plants, aromatic trees, even the smell of hot red soil and the Mediterranean landscape amazes me... These are my first scent memories, and I carry them with me every day.

What are the future plans for EX NIHILO?

Our company is still very young, only four years old. It is growing very quickly - now we have about seventy points of sale around the world. I would say that over the next two years, our goal is to continue growing and continuously improving the brand experience, but we don't want to grow too quickly to maintain a level of excellence. In five years, I would like to have many more flagship stores worldwide.

I read on your website that you are a sneakerhead. Do you own a pair of vintage sneakers? I also read that you are an eBay explorer. What is the best thing you've found on eBay?

Again, I share this passion with Olivier, especially for Air Jordan 1, and my personal favorite is Jordan V. A funny fact is that we always wear them instead of trading them on StockX. People get mad when they see Olivier wearing Travis Scott or Air Jordan 1 Chicago, but we love their worn look!

Regarding eBay, one of my best finds was a chair by designer Philippe Starck from the 1980s that I had been looking for a long time... I finally found it from a seller living just 5 kilometers from my place in Paris!