NOTES SHANGHAI
TAKES ANOTHER WAY

A Different Direction

This edition’s theme ‘Another Way’ encourages us to approach fragrance with an open mind. With screens so often telling us what to buy, it feels refreshing to let our noses decide. Expect unfamiliar ideas and a look at what happens when perfumers think outside the box. More than 40 forums and brand events will dive into new ways of crafting scents, building brands, and understanding market trends.

The Line-up

Through the Eyes of Alberto Morillas

Scent on Display

Think you know what rose smells like? ‘Rewriting Rose’ may make you think again. Spread across ten chapters, more than seventy fragrances show just how differently perfumers can approach the exact same flower. The selection highlights notable creations like Annick Goutal’s Ce Soir Ou Jamais, Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose, and Serge Lutens’ Sa Majesté la Rose. Fresh roses and perfumery materials accompany the scents, inviting visitors to trace the relationship between the flower and its many expressions in perfume.

Additionally, Givaudan’s ‘Patchouli Beyond’ takes a fresh look at patchouli, while DSM-Firmenich’s ‘Flowers Are Watching Us’ imagines flowers as living beings with a gaze of their own. Wincom’s ‘Scenting the Orient’ explores a scent palette that includes vegetables and foods. Herynn brings sight and scent into conversation, and ‘Check In’ by Cottee Traveler’s Plan pairs travel imagery with fragrance. There is as much to catch the eye as there is to intrigue the nose.

Meet the Noses

A Material Moment

Before a scent comes to life in a flacon, it begins with the raw materials and the houses that source them. A new addition, Notes Materials, turns the focus to the ingredients themselves. Created for industry professionals, the dedicated event brings suppliers and perfumers together around the materials that give a composition its character.

Across the space, 20 global fine fragrance suppliers present everything from high-end naturals and specialty extractions to cutting-edge aroma molecules, biotech ingredients, and materials unique to China. Alongside the showcases, visitors can join industry forums, ingredient evaluations, and closed-door sessions on regulatory trends and new creative applications.

Among the participants is Synarome, which will revisit historic perfumery bases, including Ambrarome (an ambergris base) and Animalis (an animalic base). Calabria-based Capua 1880 brings its prestigious citrus oils, while Evera by Citrosuco offers another perspective on orange. DSM-Firmenich will showcase Josenol® with its delicate lily of the valley and powdery mimosa facets, and Strawberry SFE, that evokes ripe strawberries with a gourmand, jam-like character. For those who usually encounter ingredients through a finished perfume, this is where the story begins.

Your Nose Gets a Vote

Did you know that visitors can also take part in the public evaluation for the Golden Osmanthus Awards? During Notes Shanghai, you can discover and rate the entries alongside assessments by a professional jury. Which fragrance would get your vote?

Want to Visit Notes Shanghai?

Notes Shanghai AW 2026 takes place from 14 to 17 October at the West Bund International Convention and Exhibition Center. Visit notesshanghai.com for the programme and visitor information.

Can’t make it? Follow us on Instagram (@leparfummagazine), where our team, together with the giveaway winner @professor.perfume, will be your nose on the ground at Notes Shanghai AW.