The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Lake Bottom was composed by perfumer Mark Buxton and represents an unconventional approach to landscape-themed fragrance. Rather than building a bright, conventionally picturesque scene, the composition leans into the sensory strangeness of a lake's bottom terrain, where submerged ground, exposed roots, and the aromatic traces of water moving through dense vegetation dominate the experience. There is no decorative fruit or bright citrus here. Instead, the composition follows the darker turn of a lake bed, where herbs can smell medicinal, moss can feel slick, and wood carries a smoky, resinous charge. That restrained brief fits the house's stated practice of working with artists and treating fragrance as an artistic medium, rather than a straightforward consumer object.
The interesting part is the tension between freshness and decay. Artemisia and galbanum bring a clipped, green snap, but moss, patchouli, vetiver, and cypriol pull the composition toward damp soil and shaded roots. Violet leaf adds a wet, peppered quality, while ylang-ylang brings a dim floral shadow without turning pretty. Incense and frankincense introduce resin and smoke, giving the green materials a darker architectural line. The result is a composition that resists easy categorization, building its own strange ecosystem from mineral-rich plant matter and quietly smoldering resins.
The evolution
The opening presents artemisia, galbanum, and violet leaf as a sharp green impression, with arnica absolute lending a dry, herbal snap. Oak wood and incense enter to make the air feel denser, as if the scene has shifted from sunlit vegetation to shaded water and exposed bark. As the fragrance settles, ylang-ylang adds a restrained floral pulse, present but restrained in its role. Moss, patchouli, vetiver, cypriol, musk, and frankincense carry the composition toward an earthy, resinous base. The surprise is how much remains green after the initial brightness has gone. On skin, the drydown keeps its damp quality, with smoke and roots lingering close, and the transition from the crisp top notes to the heavier, resinous base feels gradual and measured.
Cultural impact
Lake Bottom's herbal, earthy, and resinous character places it in conversation with the broader movement of artistic and unconventional perfumery. Its departure from the more accessible territory of polished florals or familiar woody compositions marks it as a fragrance that asks for a different kind of attention from the wearer. The composition's reliance on green herbs, damp moss, mineral woods, and smoky resins signals an interest in evoking specific atmospheres and textures rather than chasing broad commercial appeal.
The House
La Folie a PlusieursLa Folie a Plusieurs is a fragrance house that treats scent as an artistic medium, creating perfumes in dialogue with works by visual artists, filmmakers, and writers. Founded in 2014 by Kaya Sorhaindo, the brand operates across Berlin and Paris, translating creative concepts into olfactory form rather than following traditional fragrance families or conventional brief structures. Each fragrance begins with an artist's work, which Sorhaindo then interprets through materials chosen in collaboration with independent perfumers. The result extends the original creative act into a new sensory dimension, inviting wearers to experience presence rather than recall the past. Museum boutiques across Europe and beyond serve as primary retail spaces, positioning these fragrances as cultural objects rather than conventional luxury goods. Notable works include Norwegian Wood (inspired by Haruki Murakami's novel), Kafka On The Shore (drawing from Murakami's companion text), and a perfume interpreting Yorgos Lanthimos' film The Lobster, developed with perfumer Mark Buxton. The brand's fragmented naming conventions, visible in titles like Me·Cha·No, Da·Cry, and As·Phyx·Io, reinforce the conceptual framework of dissolution and reinterpretation that underlies the entire project.
The Creator
Mark BuxtonMark favors a structural approach that starts with a strong base, often built from rare woods, ambergris substitutes, or aged resins. He layers these foundations with carefully selected heart notes—spices, florals or herbs—that add depth without overwhelming the base.
