Enter BIBBI’s Universe! Where Founder Stina Bibbi Seger Turns Dreams Into Scents
June 29 | 4 minute read
Words by Kaylah Joelle Baker
This is the belief of Stina Bibbi Seger, founder of the niche Parisian fragrance house BIBBI, who built her brand to transcend the traditional boundaries of perfumery. Drawing inspiration from her subconscious state of mind, Swedish-born Seger uses meditation to shape the stories and smells of BIBBI’s fragrances. So, close your eyes and join us as we enter its deep-blue olfactory universe.
Decoding the Subconscious
Ideated in 2020 and then launched three years later, the makings of BIBBI started well before. “I was 19 when I left my small hometown in Sweden for Southeast Asia,” Seger tells the Memo. “I was only supposed to stay for a couple of months, but I ended up staying for three years – and going away like that, at that age, obviously affects you a lot.
“It was in Asia where I discovered the art of meditation and yoga and a completely different way of looking at the world and the connection between people. It was a different time – there was no influence from the outside world in the sense of what we have today. It was a profound experience.”
Known as ‘astral travel’, the meditative practice Seger discovered involves an intentional out-of-body experience – or, as she explains, “It’s almost a dream-like meditation. For me, it’s about going with my mind to an alternative reality or another realm, and it’s a very powerful, intense and emotional experience.”
Finding the Scent-spiration
From these formative years came the foundation of BIBBI’s fragrances and Seger’s desire to capture the feeling of scent: “I didn’t grow up in a fragrance environment because Scandinavia is very much about nature,” she explains. “If you had perfume, you would have a maximum of one, and you would walk into the cloud of the fragrance.
“But I wanted to take those [meditative] experiences and translate them into scents because fragrance is such a powerful, poetic tool. It takes you somewhere else – it’s a bridge to something else.”
Seger was also inspired by her work as a graphic designer and concept developer, adding, “As a creative and a woman, I felt there was so much I could do in this field that no-one was really doing – everything was very traditional, very male-dominated or didn’t really connect with me. But I knew this brand was going to work and that people would resonate with it.”
The Dreamscape Scents
From the subconscious stories that inspire the scents to the minimalist Scandinavian design, Seger’s influence is integral to BIBBI’s existence; even the brand’s striking electric-blue motif is the colour she sees in her meditative state.
As for the exact visions? For Ghost of Tom, it was an invisible being whose mysterious presence gave rise to a smoky, tea-like scent; for Santal Beauty, it was a fleeting encounter with a soft-spoken woman, captured in sandalwood and violet – and Vanilla Factory? Quite literally the atmosphere of an abandoned building that somehow compels you closer with a hypnotic, seductive vanilla scent, both sweet and dark at the same time.
Describing her creative process further, Seger says, “While we never compromise on the quality of a fragrance’s ingredients, I don’t start there. I start from the emotional aspect and the experience I want the fragrance to express. When you smell them, you can feel they are very layered – they live a lot, take you on a journey, change on your skin and develop.”
Finding Your Dream Scent
From the contemporary, fashion-forward essence of Swimming Pool to Vanilla Factory’s darker, seductive take on a gourmand classic and Boy of June’s fresh patchouli-meets-leather notes, where should one start?
“It’s difficult to choose a favourite because they all deserve space and time,” Seger says of the genderless collection. “Something I always tell people is, you need to try them, need to put them on the skin and you need to live with them.
“Also, I encourage layering. I know some brands, founders and perfumers don’t like layering because they think their fragrance is perfect as it is – and that might be – but I feel fragrance is a way of expressing something for the wearer,” she adds, explaining, “It’s not up to me to decide what you want to express. It’s fragrance; it’s not so serious. It’s supposed to be fun.”
As for what she hopes for when you first grasp the luxuriously weighted bottle (crafted in Italy) and spritz its fine raw materials: “I want people to be curious of life, but also open – and to stay open. If BIBBI’s scents can transport you somewhere, then I would love that. Or, if I could inspire a little bit of meditation, that would be lovely.”
The Parisian fragrance house launches exclusively online and in-store at MECCA from 30 June. Start your wishlist!
Want to dive deeper into BIBBI’s universe? Take a seat at Bar Perfumeria, where a MECCA Scent Sommelier will guide you through the brand and help you layer scents to find your new signature. This complimentary service runs in July, only at MECCA Bourke Street. Book here.
