LONDON – In an industry obsessed with storytelling, Daniel Bense did things differently when he launched the luxury body care and fragrance brand, To My Ships, which is set to debut at Liberty with a special installation on Tuesday.
Instead of making up a marketing narrative, Bense turned to the mother of all stories, The Iliad, for inspiration, creating a brand of deodorants, body washes and fragrance around the aesthetics, drama and romance of the classical world.
The mission statement is hilarious, in the best way: “Inspired by The Iliad, a desire for cleaner armpits and an intention to quell olfactory overload.”
Bense has dug deep, citing lines from Homer’s seminal poem, which follows Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon and a host of meddling gods and goddesses through the end of the Trojan War.
He specifically references Robert Fagles’ famous 1990 translation, using lines from the epic poem in the brand’s literature and packaging.
“I wanted to do something that was intriguing and interesting and exciting, and rally an amazing team around an idea,” Bense said in an interview. “I wanted to go to the opposite end of sexy, to the dark, smelly [bodily] functions, and think about products that are often overlooked, products you use” every day but never think twice about.
He also wanted to create products that didn’t smell “artificial, or like a duty free hall,” and so turned to The Iliad “and its implicit call for calm, civilized living” for inspiration.
“What better way to [create] than to use one of the oldest pieces of Western literature to ground yourself, and give yourself depth, substance and continuous inspiration?” he asked.
The first collection, Of the Gods, launched last September with roll-on and spray-on deodorants, a hand and body wash, and a fragrance, Of The Gods Polygonum eau de parfum.
The formulations contain a high level of natural ingredients, come in recycled and refillable packaging, and carry the scent of the perfume.
The deodorants in particular are free from aluminum salts and alcohol and designed for sensitive skin. Bense said the research into the formulations was painstaking, because armpits are as sensitive as eyes.
The Stand Up Bravely collection of products will launch at Liberty.
The fragrance itself includes oils distilled from aldehyde-rich flowers of Solomon’s seal; from the twigs and leaves of petitgrain, and extracts of patchouli. Bense worked with the perfumer Celine Barel of International Flavors and Fragrances on the scent.
He was going for a scent that was subtle, distinctive and could last all day, and that meant no overbearing notes such as rose or oud.
On Tuesday, To My Ships will launch its second collection, Stand Up Bravely, at Liberty with a takeover of the ground floor atrium and a backdrop created by an architect and set designer. It features — what else? — towering classical columns inscribed with lines from the epic poem.
“They’re beautiful bits of the poem, like when Hera is about to seduce Zeus,” said Bense, whose new collection features deodorants; a hand and body wash, and an eau de parfum, which are infused with marjoram, bergamot and cedarwood.
To My Ships’ new eau de parfum from the Stand Up Bravely collection.
Bense said he chose Liberty for a variety of reasons.
“I like their dedication to creativity and quality, and they attract a great customer. They have also been at the forefront of brand discovery for a very long time. They always seem to pluck brands out of obscurity and be absolute champions of them,” he said.
To My Ships also plans to launch at Mecca in Australia and Skins in the Netherlands and is speaking to other wholesale partners internationally. Prices range from 35 pounds for the 75ml, roll-on deodorant, to 170 pounds for the 100ml eau de parfum.
Bense, who is 39, was raised in South Africa, educated in Australia and spent more than a decade at Aesop overseeing European markets. He later served as managing director of the luxury underwear and clothing brand Sunspel.
He launched To My Ships with help from angel investors, including colleagues, suppliers and customers.
He said his dream for the company isn’t so much to get as big as Aesop, which was acquired by L’Oréal two years ago in a deal valued at more than $2.5 billion, but to grow responsibly, and service customers.
“I’m not chasing growth numbers — I’m chasing impact. I don’t know that To My Ships needs to necessarily be a massive company,” Bense said. “We want to be as responsible as possible, which is why we’ve used aluminum, recycled plastic and glass.
“We want to have less impact on the environment and offer customers an elevated routine that’s maybe a small treat to them on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
In terms of product, he determined to keep finding “interesting, underappreciated products and trying to do more with less and do it better. I think there’s more ‘dark and smelly’ out there, and there are more overlooked categories,” said Bense, whose quest for a more fragrant world has only just begun.