Fragrance house

Abel

Abel began with Frances Shoemack, a New Zealander and former winemaker who founded the brand in Amsterdam while seeking a modern, sophisticated natural perfume. The idea emerged in 2011, and after two years of laboratory work, Abel launched its first fragrance in 2013. That debut, Vintage 13, was shaped by Shoemack’s winemaking perspective and built around sandalwood. Shoemack developed an enduring creative partnership with master perfumer Isaac Sinclair, later joined by scientist and perfumer Dr Fanny Grau; together, the trio combines creative direction, perfumery, and scientific expertise. Cyan Nori, launched in 2020, was identified as a bestseller and as the first Abel fragrance to resonate across the United States, Asia, and Europe. In 2025, Abel relaunched its entire collection after more than a decade, rebuilding formulas, materials, and packaging in a project led by Shoemack and Sinclair. The reformulation incorporated newer biotechnology while retaining the fragrances’ original profiles.