Le Labo has just unveiled SHIU 25, a new fragrance that arrives as part of its City Exclusive Collection, a carefully curated selection of scents that exist only in their designated cities, released to the wider world for one month each year. Available August 1 through September 30, this 50ml bottle represents something rare in luxury fragrance: a scent born from stillness.
Created in Beijing, SHIU 25 draws inspiration from the city’s hidden spaces of contemplation. Traditional artisan quarters where light filters through latticed screens, gardens designed around the principle of return, rooms built for silence, these are the refuges that shaped this fragrance. The composition centers on Shiu, the Ho tree’s quieter expression, known in classical tradition to offer balance and inner peace. Ethereal iris and olibanum (franakincense) float above warm, grounding woods, creating an enveloping atmosphere of centered calm.
Our City Exclusive fragrances began as a way to honor the places that leave an invisible imprint on us, and to distill their irreplaceable spirit through the senses. When they travel each September, they offer a chance to feel something of their soul, even from afar. SHIU 25 emerged from our time in Beijing, and is an expression of what the city holds for us in its traditional spaces built for quietude and inner return, a lineage we’re privileged to nurture and continue in our historic He Yuan Lab. – Deborah Royer, Global Brand President and Creative Director of Le Labo Fragrances
Deborah Royer, Global Brand President and Creative Director of Le Labo Fragrances, explains the thinking behind the collection: “Our City Exclusive fragrances began as a way to honor the places that leave an invisible imprint on us, and to distill their irreplaceable spirit through the senses. When they travel each September, they offer a chance to feel something of their soul, even from afar. SHIU 25 emerged from our time in Beijing, and is an expression of what the city holds for us in its traditional spaces built for quietude and inner return, a lineage we’re privileged to nurture and continue in our historic He Yuan Lab. This fragrance carries that forward: an invitation to find centered calm, self-reflection, and a moment of pause in a world that rarely grants one.”
The City Exclusive Collection operates on a singular principle: these fragrances exist year-round only in their home labs. Once yearly, for the month of September, they become available nationwide on the Le Labo Fragrances website, in labs, and select retailers. Samples and discovery sets launch August 1, with full-size bottles beginning September 1. The collection includes 20 scents from cities across the globe, from OSMANTHUS 19 (Kyoto) to TUBEREUSE 40 (New York), each carrying the specific character of its birthplace.
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For those committed to the scent, refilling is available at select Le Labo labs worldwide at 20 percent off retail price, a nod to the collection’s philosophy of permanence and care. SHIU 25 marks the newest addition to a program that transforms geography into fragrance, a reminder that some of the most beautiful things are worth the effort to find.
