Thursday 1PM | Ayu

The midday sun drifts over a slow Japanese river.

The air is bright with the calm freshness of cucumber and the soft salt of red seaweed, rising like sunlight glinting on ripples. Everlasting flowers from the southern French coast add a warm shimmer, blending the gentle warmth of land and sea. As it settles, hints of cedarwood and moss deepen the mood—serene, grounded, quietly joyful. It feels like a pause in the week: peaceful, simple, and alive with memory.

Notes: Ayu Accord, Red Seaweed, Mediterranean Solar Accord, Mugane, Salty Breeze, Everlasting Absolute, Cedarwood, Moss, Oranox

Setchu takes its name from the Japanese phrase “Wayo Setchu” (和洋折衷), a meeting point between Japanese and Western worlds. Founded by designer Satoshi Kuwata, who studied at Central Saint Martins and refined his craft on Savile Row and in global fashion capitals, the brand channels this sense of balance into scent as well as clothing. Each fragrance begins with classic forms and familiar notes, then gently twists them, fusing Japanese restraint and Western richness into compositions that feel quietly new yet instantly wearable. Based in Milan, Setchu perfumes are crafted as everyday essentials—subtle, functional, and made to move fluidly between genders, moods, and occasions.

• Julie Massé