Above Us, Steorra Eau de Parfu
A new chapter unfolds in Aesop’s aromatic story as the brand’s latest Eau de Parfum—a glowing constellation of Amber, emblazoned with a radical streak of Cardamom—takes the form of a fragrant, thought-provoking fable. Harnessing Aesop’s unique olfactory signature—noted for its depth and complexity—Above Us, Steorra illuminates an enduringly nonconformist approach to fragrance creation, and a yet uncharted realm for amber fragrances.
The story began with an abstract set of inspirations that Aesop shared with long-term fragrance collaborator Céline Barel: a poem by Mayuzumi Madoka titled ‘Shooting Star’, a photograph of the night sky, and imagery detailing the various hues of amber. This characteristically unconventional starting point led to discussions about the sense of awe and possibility one feels when looking up at a star-strewn sky—an experience that often leads thoughts to follow unexplored trajectories. Beyond the artificial lights, noise and routines that often define modern, metropolitan living, a moment when one might ask: shall we trust in the unknown?
From inspiration, creation Barel explains how she interpreted the various points of inspiration and how a visit to an Aesop store also influenced the blend: ‘I wanted to create a “Celestial Amber”—an idea that came from looking at the ceiling of the Aesop Collins Street store in Melbourne, which is coated in salvaged and crushed Aesop bottles mixed with render. This instantly gave me the impression of a beautiful star-dusted sky. Above Us, Steorra is not just a star, it is a shooting star. It is something incandescent—hot and cold at the same time, a complex bouquet of spice—leaving a luminous trail in darkness. A transportive fragrance for nonconformists—and for conformists secretly longing for something gently subversive.’
The result is a fragrance that has a distinctly modern amber signature, bringing a sense of continual movement, texture and wonder. As Barel states: ‘I looked at the classical ambery accord and I distorted the proportion of it, toning down the sweetness and the powders and exaggerating the woods and resins, finding another way to bring the evocation of sweetness via warm spices and other botanicals.’
As intentions were set, so too a name was chosen. ‘Steorra’ [Steh-O-rah] is the Old English word for stars, a word selected—much as with the names of Aesop’s existing fragrances—as an ode to the ever-changing nature of language that spans generations and geographies. The addition of ‘Above Us’ speaks to gazes drawn skywards in a collective sense of wonderment.
The aroma: a new expression of amber
The Eau de Parfum centres on the interplay between a radically unfiltered use of Cardamom—which soars from near-citrus spice in the opening notes, to glimmering warmth in the base—and a unique ‘fabulist accord’ that conjures the imagined scent of amber. This intricate constellation of ingredients—including Frankincense, Labdanum and Vanilla Bean—illuminates an impression of the fossilised tree resin, making the unscented, aromatic.
The trajectory of Above Us, Steorra begins with sparks of Bergamot, sizzling accents of Cardamom and peppery Elemi. ‘The effect is to give us a glimpse of the meteor’s tail—incandescent radiance set against the cool, dark vacuum of space,’ says Barel. The heart notes see the fragrance’s ambery radiance accentuated as the powerfully woody, leathery aroma of Cypriol Heart merges with the balsamic warmth of Labdanum and Frankincense—here used to its full effect, providing a facet that is at once resinous and vibrant, peppery and laced with citrus. The fragrance finds renewed intensity in the base notes, as Cardamom reasserts itself—this time with a spicier, woodier character—and richly textured Cypriol Heart and Cinnamon continue to propel the aroma on its trajectory. The rum-like character of Vanilla Bean is also present, rekindling the ambery warmth of the aroma with spicy balsamic notes.
The fable
The fable-like poem that evokes the essence of the fragrance is rooted in Aesop’s heritage of storytelling and indeed its namesake—Aesop, the Fabulist—who, over 2000 years ago, told yarns that provided life guidance. Today, in a world that can often feel overwhelming, Aesop reignites this mindful mode of storytelling, humbly posing a question that may lead to new, enriching experiences.
Above Us, Steorra
A star, steady in the sky
Thought it was the only light
Solitary in its glow
But then a fire cut the dark
Disrupting certainties
A glimmer of possibility
And so it took the chance Ignited with an amber glow
Illuminating the unknown
Charting its own course
Seeking its own story
Propelled by a question:
Shall we trust in the unknown?
Above Us, Steorra Eau de Parfum will launch globally on 1 September 2025.
RRP:
Above Us, Steorra Eau de Parfum 50 mL HKD / MOP 1,500
