I was in Tunisia when I first noticed the fragrance.
It came from a lovely necklace—dark, delicate, and beautifully simple. I held it in my hands and asked, almost without thinking, “Is this perfumed?”
That question opened a door.
I learned that the necklace was made of skhab, a traditional scented craft passed down through generations across North Africa. For centuries, women have worn skhab as necklaces and hair ornaments, allowing its fragrance to awaken slowly with the warmth of the body.
But what captivated me most was learning that skhab is still made by hand.
I met women artisans who continue to shape this fragrant paste using recipes of spices, flowers, resins, and perfumes—each one with her own secret blend, her own memory, her own signature scent. No two were exactly the same.
There was something magical about it.
In their hands, fragrance became an object. Scent became something you could touch, hold, wear, and remember.
I knew I wanted to share that feeling.
For L’Éveil des Sens, I reimagined skhab as mahjong dice. I asked the artisans if they could shape this traditional scented paste into dice for me, and watching that idea come to life became one of the most joyful parts of the collection.
These dice are my tribute to the women who keep this delicate art alive, and to the fragrance that followed me home.
