New Zealand has very few fine fragrance houses of its own, and O Te Rā is the newest and one of the most ambitious. Four extrait de parfums, each one following the sun through a phase of its day, composed in France and hand poured here. It is a first for us at Wally and there is a real idea running through it. Here is the collection, and what each scent is actually about.
The O Te Rā story
O Te Rā began with three friends who met playing rugby in a field in the United Kingdom over a decade ago. Gregory Sebastien was born in Martinique and raised in Lyon, and went on to train in Grasse, the historic centre of French perfumery, where he now composes the fragrances. Maia Gibbs is a ta moko and contemporary artist from Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, and shapes the visual language of the house, every motif and mark. James Penman, from West Tāmaki Makaurau, brought the thread between them, a fascination with story and atmosphere. Rugby introduced them and travel kept them together, through galleries, markets and perfumeries, until the idea of a house built on scent and art became the obvious thing to do.
Why O Te Rā is different
Two things set it apart. The first is the structure: rather than a loose collection, the four scents map the sun across a single day, from first light at sunrise through to the dark of night, and each is named in te reo for the phase it holds. The second is the concentration. These are extrait de parfum, the most concentrated format in perfumery and a step above eau de parfum, so they are worn in small amounts and they last.
The house describes itself as French perfume inspired by te ao Māori, and the making follows that on both sides. The fragrances are composed in France, where Greg trained and works, then hand poured here in New Zealand. Very little fine fragrance is poured in this country, so that matters more than it sounds.
The collection, scent by scent
Te Whitinga o te Rā
Sunrise, named for Tūranganui-a-Kiwa on the East Coast, where the sun reaches Aotearoa first. The name suggests something light and the composition is anything but. It opens green and cool on juniper and cypress, turns resinous through myrrh and patchouli, then lands on leather, honey and amber. That base is where it spends most of its time, warm and faintly sweet with the leather holding it back from dessert. Closer to incense in a cold church than to a citrus splash.
Notes: Juniper, iris, cypress, patchouli, woods, resins, myrrh, leather, musk, vanilla, honey, amber.
Shop Te Whitinga o te Rā (50ml, $280)
Te Poupoutanga o te Rā
The sun at its highest, taking Aoraki as its reference point, the tallest mountain in the country standing under full midday light. It is the loudest thing in the range and it is not trying to be subtle. Pink peppercorn, bergamot and cardamom give it some bite, pistachio starts the sweetness early, and underneath sits a full white floral heart of jasmine, tuberose and ylang ylang. Coconut, tonka bean and benzoin turn it creamy and warm. If you like big white florals, this is your one.
Notes: Pink peppercorn, bergamot, cardamom, pistachio, jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang, amber, benzoin, coconut, tonka bean.
Shop Te Poupoutanga o te Rā (50ml, $280)
Te Tōnga o te Rā
Sunset, and the reference is Piha, black sand and heavy surf on Auckland's west coast with the light going down over it. The brand calls it the moment after the storm. Bitter orange, cypress and pink peppercorn give it a dry, slightly bitter opening, which is the most interesting part of it. From there it softens into lily, tuberose and orchid, then settles on patchouli, vanilla and chestnut cream. Rich without the volume of the midday scent.
Notes: Bitter orange, cypress, pink peppercorns, lily, tuberose, orchid, patchouli, vanilla, chestnut cream.
Shop Te Tōnga o te Rā (50ml, $280)
Te Pō
The night. In te ao Māori, Te Pō is the realm the world came from, the long dark that holds everything before it takes form. It is the flagship of the house, the only one that comes in 100ml, and the softest of the four. Milk, cardamom and ginger open it warm rather than sharp, then iris, violet, sandalwood and cedarwood give it a powdery, woody middle. Cashmere wood, amberwood, nagarmotha and white musks keep it close to the skin. More of a texture than a statement.
Notes: Milk, cardamom, ginger, iris, sandalwood, cedarwood, violet, nagarmotha, cashmere wood, amberwood, white musks.
Shop Te Pō (100ml, $505)
Discovery Set
All four scents in 5ml, at the same extrait de parfum concentration as the full bottles. This is the range at proper strength rather than a set of samples, and at $130 it is the sensible way into a house where a full bottle starts at $280. It also makes a straightforward gift for someone who reads fragrance seriously.
Shop the Discovery Set (4 x 5ml, $130)
How to choose
If you are new to the house, start with the Discovery Set and let the four argue it out on your skin over a week. If you already know what you like: Te Poupoutanga o te Rā for big white florals, Te Whitinga o te Rā for resins and leather, Te Tōnga o te Rā for something rich but quieter, and Te Pō for soft, woody and close to the skin. Better still, come and smell them. Our team in Takapuna is happy to talk you through the range.
Where to buy O Te Rā in NZ
Wally is an authorised stockist of O Te Rā. Shop the full O Te Rā collection online, or visit us in store at 53 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, Auckland. Free delivery on NZ orders over $80.
For more fragrance with a point of view, see Stora Skuggan, the Stockholm niche house we are the exclusive New Zealand stockist for, and The Virtue, the New Zealand made perfume and incense house we also stock.
