Fragrance house

Mind Games

Mind Games was founded in New York in 2022 by Alex Shalbaf and Mariana Shalbaf. Its genderless niche fragrance collection draws on chess, translating strategy, precision, and elegance into scents presented as strategic moves, with storytelling shaped around strategy, artistry, and emotion. Mariana Shalbaf is the co-founder and creative director, leading the brand’s fragrance, packaging, and narrative direction through experience in visual arts and luxury branding. Mind Games collaborates with Symrise and its master perfumers, including David Apel, Nathalie Benareau, Alexandra Carlin, Emilie Copperman, and Christelle Laprade. In 2024, French Defense Extrait de Parfum received The Fragrance Foundation’s Luxury Packaging of the Year award, credited to The Fragrance Group and Mariana Shalbaf.