Fragrance house

Tobba

Tobba was founded in Hong Kong by Jasper Li and Adrian Yu. Its name combines tobacco and art, having first been used for Li’s father’s art studio before being inherited by the brand. Li transitioned from painting into self-taught perfumery, treating fragrance as an extension of his visual-art practice. Yu’s role combines a luxury-retail background with communication, sales, and marketing, while Li leads creation and the brand’s overall image. Tobba translates visual-art principles—including layering, contrast, texture, and emotional expression—into scent. Its creative references include Hong Kong heritage, East-West cultural exchange, Li’s memories of his mother’s perfumes, and Middle Eastern fragrance traditions encountered during his perfumery studies. A 2021 launch introduced six fragrances and six candles, followed by the brand’s first Esxence appearance in 2022 with an initial six-fragrance collection. In 2025, Tobba announced Higher Self and Lovers and Strangers as its first releases after the debut collection; Higher Self was Li’s seventh creation, while Lovers and Strangers was developed with perfumer Maxime Exler.