#026 Ficifolia Fragrances A Conversation with Sophie Marcoux

In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we welcome back Sophie Marcoux, founder and creative force behind Ficifolia Fragrances, for a closer look at her latest release, Best in Show. A gourmand Extrait de Parfum at 25% concentration, the fragrance draws its inspiration from one of the most beloved (and quietly competitive) corners of Australian country life: the vanilla slice rivalry of the regional show bake-off.Sophie returns to the show with a fragrance that is at once playful and deeply considered. Glazed sugar, jasmine, muguet and praline open into a heart of vanilla custard cream, tonka bean and rose, before settling on a base of cashmere musk, patchouli and vetiver. We unpack the composition note by note as we experience it on skin, exploring how each layer reveals a different chapter of the story she set out to tell.Beyond the bottle, we spend time on the wider creative direction behind Best in Show. Sophie shares the thinking behind the campaign's stylised country bake-off world, the confidence required to enter the saturated vanilla category, and the relationship between fashion, fragrance and creative identity that runs through everything she does. We also revisit her briefing process, her evolving collaboration with her formulator, and what has changed for Ficifolia in the year since we last spoke.https://ficifolia.com/