Cha Haeyoung has a unique set of skills that blend fragrance, art and Korean culture.
With a background in art curation and a personal passion for perfume, the she launched fragrance brand Nonfiction in 2019 from Seoul out of a desire to elevate self-care routines with high-quality perfumes and products made with plant-derived ingredients. She aims to helm a luxury brand that can expand beyond the beauty industry, and she’s already headed that way.
In April this year, Nonfiction partnered with Korean artist Koo Jeong A on the Odorama Cities exhibition for the Korean Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale, which is on show until November. The project centres around one question—“What is your scent memory of Korea?”—and distils Korean history and scent memory into a cohesive, nostalgic fragrance that spans the 1960s to today with notes of salt, smoke, soap and the subway.
Tatler spoke to Cha about the project, how art and perfume work together and why the brand diverges from the K-beauty classification.
Read more: The rise of Korean perfumes: 7 brands to explore on your next trip to Seoul
Was entering the perfume industry something you were always interested in doing, or was your journey to founding Nonfiction less conventional?I have always been enthusiastic about fragrance, although launching my own brand was not something that had originally crossed my mind.
One day while relaxing in the bath, I observed my collection of fragrance products next to the tub. The high-quality and aesthetically pleasing scent products allowed me to truly indulge during my alone time, and that’s when I realised that I wanted to create Nonfiction—to provide unique products that amplify one’s self-care ritual.
Could you explain your process of developing a fragrance—where do you begin and how do you reach the final product?Our process begins with collaboration between our in-house fragrance lab, marketing team and myself to develop brand strategies and determine the desired notes.
We then reach out to a global perfumer or perfumery who can best unlock our vision, even from a simple brief. It takes many iterations to reach the level of quality that we are satisfied with before we decide to finally release the product—sometimes as long as three years.
Why do you think perfume and art work together?Art exists to broaden our consciousness and evoke deep emotional responses, and perfume operates similarly, provoking immediate emotional reactions and revitalising the surrounding atmosphere; the fragrance is an intriguing medium that stimulates curiosity.
How did Nonfiction get involved with the Venice Biennale, and what was it like seeing the Odorama Cities project for the first time?Before Nonfiction, I managed a collective of artists, so merging art with commerce has always been my passion. The Venice Biennale project was proposed by curators Seolhui Lee and Jacob Fabricius and involved artist Koo Jeong A with her innovative use of scent as an art medium.
Koo engaged the public through an open call in 2023 to incorporate their imagery of the entire Korean peninsula—both North and South—into an olfactory library, and we helped translate this into 16 unique fragrances with perfumers around the world. This collaboration was compelling and meaningful for us, and it was a proud moment to see Nonfiction as an official partner in creating the essential medium for the Korean Pavilion exhibition at such a prestigious art festival.
What was it like working with perfumer Dominique Ropion?Transforming collected scent memories into olfactory experiences was undoubtedly complex, but the project’s significance made it a thrilling challenge. During our initial meeting with Dominique in Paris, our team introduced various foods and products from the open call to provide context for the nostalgic Korean scents. Even for me, these long-forgotten aromas evoked a powerful sense of nostalgia.
Although this was our first collaboration, his exceptional talent for reinterpreting nuanced memories while preserving the integrity of Koo’s concept made him the perfect partner for this project.
What are the current trends in fragrance right now, and are you partaking in any of them?The trend of categorising fragrances by gender is fading. Nonfiction’s entire fragrance line reflects this shift by embracing a genderless approach, and this alignment with contemporary trends underscores our commitment to inclusivity and modernity in fragrance design.
There’s been a global spotlight on K-beauty for the last decade—does that impact your approach when considering products and launches for Nonfiction? I’d say the impact has been minimal. When it comes to high-quality fragrance oils, we believe that partnering with globally renowned companies and perfumers—mostly outside of Korea—allows us to create the premium quality that we stand behind.
While we proudly acknowledge our brand’s nationality, we strive to differentiate Nonfiction from K-beauty brands. We are focused on establishing a strong presence in key markets globally through our branding, products and experiences.
What’s next for you and the brand?We aim to expand beyond Seoul and engage with customers worldwide. Nonfiction products are currently available through various global retailers, and we plan to open new flagship stores in Hong Kong and Japan and aspire to reach Europe and America next year.
Personally, I am increasingly aware of life’s finiteness and aim to invest my time in more valuable endeavours, as I believe in our brand ethos of discovering one’s inner self and living a fulfilling life.
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