Scent of Africa to unveil Akua’ba collection at TFWA

Scent of Africa will offer travel retail buyers a first look at its new Akua’ba fragrance collection at TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, as the Ghanaian fragrance house looks to build its international footprint and open new doors in the channel.

The six-strong collection marks the latest chapter in the brand’s approach to telling African stories through contemporary fine fragrance, this time drawing on both Ghanaian symbolism and West African scent traditions.

At the centre of Akua’ba is a new sculptural flacon inspired by the Akua’ba, the fertility figure of Ghana’s Akan culture traditionally associated with hope, beauty and fertility. The fragrances themselves take their cue from Thiouraye, the West African tradition of blending and warming fragrant woods, resins and spices to perfume the body, clothing and home.

Scent of Africa has reinterpreted the ritual through fine fragrance, using the transformation of those aromatic materials to mirror different stages of love. Full details of the six scents, including their ingredients and creative direction, will be revealed for the first time in Cannes ahead of the collection’s official launch later this year.

Akua’ba will share the spotlight at Green Village H36 with Anancy and Assaye, two fragrances added to Scent of Africa’s Eternal Legends Collection earlier this year. Inspired by Akan mythology, the pair continue the brand’s focus on African heritage, ingredients and storytelling.

Founder Tanal Ghandour said: “Our objectives in Cannes are to unveil our new collection Akua’ba to international travel retail partners and media, strengthen existing relationships, and develop new retail and distribution opportunities. Above all, we want to reinforce Scent of Africa’s position as a unique African voice within contemporary fine fragrance.”

The appearance comes during a year of international expansion for Scent of Africa, which is looking to tap into traveller appetite for fragrance brands with distinctive provenance and a strong sense of place. Europe, the UK and US are among the priority markets for its next phase of growth, while a forthcoming e-commerce platform will give consumers wider access to the portfolio beyond its physical distribution.

For Scent of Africa, Cannes has become an important part of that expansion strategy, providing a platform to develop new retail and distribution partnerships as the brand looks to take its African fragrance proposition to a wider global audience.