Mami Wata — Neo-Animism

"African surf culture. It's our story. We tell it in many ways, mostly through the lens of African design principles and the art of storytelling.
But how else can it be told?

Scent is a powerful storyteller. But how do you capture African surf culture in a fragrance?

Surfing draws on our experience both in the ocean and in the life around it. We needed notes from inside the ocean as well as from the world on land to tell this story.

Our Neo-Animism perfume is built on two dominant accords:

African ocean minerals, capturing the experience of being in the water. Our bodies and minds sense their presence almost unconsciously, but it's the nose that lets us recognise them.

Green bar soap, a product found everywhere in Africa and used for everything: washing your body, doing the laundry and everyday household chores. It captures the everyday experience of surfers growing up in southern Africa. The most popular brand of this soap in Sub-Saharan Africa is "Sunlight". Its scent brings back memories for many people: images of mothers, home, fresh bedding or a new day. Using such a "common" scent in niche perfumery challenges the traditional idea of luxury.
Neo-Animism combines the scent of ocean minerals and green bar soap to tell the unique story of African surf culture."

Suggested tones: coral reef, green African soap.