Heritage
A house, in its own words
Pola traces its roots to 1929 when Kōzō Matsumoto founded a small laboratory in Osaka to produce high‑quality cosmetics. The company, originally named Pola, quickly earned a reputation for innovative skincare, introducing the first Japanese product that incorporated hyaluronic acid in the 1970s. By the early 1980s the brand expanded beyond skin care, launching its first fragrance, Mon Secret, in 1963, followed by a series of scents that reflected contemporary Japanese aesthetics. The 1990s saw Pola formalise a dedicated fragrance division, releasing Compe Fragrance in 1995 and Selenion in 1983, each drawing on traditional Japanese botanicals while employing modern synthetic accords. In 2001 the house introduced Tune, a scent noted for its minimalist amber‑gris heart, signalling a shift toward more abstract olfactory storytelling. A 2015 merger with Orbis created Pola Orbis Holdings, consolidating the brand’s cosmetics and fragrance operations under a single corporate umbrella. Recent years have brought a focus on sustainability: in 2020 Pola announced a partnership with a Japanese forest‑conservation NGO to source responsibly harvested cedar, and in 2022 the company introduced refillable glass bottles for its flagship fragrances. Throughout its eight‑decade journey, Pola has maintained a steady output of niche‑style perfumes that balance heritage ingredients with contemporary formulation techniques, earning a modest but dedicated following among collectors who value quiet elegance over flash.
Pola approaches perfumery as an extension of its skincare philosophy: a focus on balance, longevity, and respect for the skin’s micro‑environment. The brand believes that a fragrance should complement, not compete with, the wearer’s natural scent, which leads to compositions that favour subtle modulation over overt projection. Creative direction is guided by a small team of Japanese perfumers who prioritize ingredients that have cultural resonance, such as sakura, yuzu, and hinoki, while also embracing global synthetics that enhance stability. Pola’s values include meticulous quality control, transparency in ingredient sourcing, and a commitment to environmental stewardship. The company’s internal guidelines encourage designers to consider the lifecycle of a scent—from raw material extraction to end‑of‑life disposal—ensuring that each fragrance aligns with broader corporate sustainability goals. This philosophy manifests in limited‑edition releases that often experiment with biodegradable packaging and in collaborations with local artisans who craft bespoke caps from reclaimed wood.