The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Pierre Guillaume founded his house in 2005 in Clermont-Ferrand, approaching fragrance as concentrated poetry in a travel-friendly flacon. For 29 Itabaía, the reference point is Itaquera, a green-draped suburb of Sao Paulo where tropical vegetation grows dense and humid, and where flowers and fruit exist side by side in a perpetual state of ripeness. Guillaume did not reach for the obvious tropical tropes. Instead, he filtered the imagery through his conceptual lens, building the fragrance around the unlikely pairing of tropical florals with hemp, a plant associated more with counterculture than perfumery. The choice is deliberate, grounding a vivid landscape in something slightly illicit and deeply green.
The note selection reflects Guillaume's preference for tension over harmony. Each ingredient was chosen not to complement the obvious tropical narrative but to complicate it. Hemp does not smell like cannabis in the finished composition; instead, it reads as a green, slightly woody herbal note that grounds the sweetness of passion fruit and vanilla. Mimosa and hibiscus add a softness that balances the fruit, while citruses keep the composition from becoming heavy. The result is a fragrance that smells like a specific place and time rather than a generic tropical concept.
The evolution
The fragrance begins without a traditional top note, plunging directly into the heart. Citruses and passion fruit arrive together, creating an opening that feels like sunlight through leaves. Pineapple leaf adds a green, slightly astringent quality that prevents the fruit from cloying. The heart deepens as mimosa and hibiscus emerge, their powdery florality blending with the fruit to create a tropical garden atmosphere. Hemp arrives quietly, its herbal character acting as a structural support for the sweeter elements. Vanilla weaves in as the dominant force in the later heart and into the drydown, giving the composition its lasting warmth. The entire arc is driven by heart notes, with no distinct drydown phase to reset the composition, creating a continuous, evolving experience from the first spray to the final moments on skin.
Cultural impact
Since its 2021 debut, 29 Itabaia has sparked conversation for daring the inclusion of hemp in a bright citrus composition, earning it a niche following among those who appreciate experimental ‘hesperimental’ scents. Wearers often cite its ability to feel both sunny and grounded, positioning it as a talk‑worthy choice in indie fragrance circles.
