Exclusive! This Is What Inspired Cuban Artists Ruben and Isabel Toledo's New Fragrances

POPSUGAR: What does fragrance mean to you?

Isabel Toledo: Fragrance for me is part of my identity. It is an extension of your wardrobe and the punctuation point of personal style. Perfume is the starting point for dressing a mood and a lingering reminder of your physical presence. The act of applying perfume pampers your mind and helps you feel centered and ready to face the civilized world no matter what you are wearing.

PS: What is the inspiration behind the fragrances?

Ruben Toledo: We wanted to use scent to paint two different personalities. The first is very lighthearted and easygoing and gets along with everyone. The second is more mysterious and complex; we wanted them to live together . . . kind of like us!

IT: I really wanted to dress your soul with a fragrance that can enhance your mood. I wanted to create fragrant textures that you can layer, add, or remove, like my couture. I love the idea of a wardrobe of fragrances.

PS: Are there any notes in these fragrances that immediately transport you to your home in Cuba?

IT: I was so blessed to grow up in such a fragrant town high up in the mountains in the middle of Cuba surrounded by tobacco fields, natural flowing rivers, and rose gardens protected by shady courtyards. Kuba Rose is inspired by memories of my aunt’s house that was surrounded by roses when I was growing up, and it’s a place I loved to be. I apply it right on my heart – if you put a little bit here, it comes up every so often and you experience the perfume the whole day in a beautiful way. Crystal Honey is the aromatic equivalent of the magical golden sunshine filtered through the lush green ceiling of vegetation. It’s very tropical, just like Cuba!

PS: Before launching these scents, did you have a signature fragrance?

IT: My mother, Berthy, gave me the very best fragrance education by letting me "borrow" from her vanity table where she kept her fragrances. All Cuban kids start splashing on cologne after their bath; my favorite is the classic Violette baby cologne [Royal Violets by Agustin Reyes Baby Cologne], which I still wear to this day. As a young teenager, I gravitated towards Chanel No. 19 and 22, soon followed by No. 5.

PS: You collaborate often, but how was the process of creating a fragrance together — did you always agree or was there any challenge that came up?

IT: It took nearly two years of research and testing to create the Crystal Honey and Kuba Rose. We are always creating something, but this undertaking was much more scientific and technical. Perfume is another way of speaking, so it had to be personal to us and really add something to your world!

PS: So there were no surprises about what the other felt strongly about. You were always aligned on what you wanted.

RT: We have very different noses, but we both love delicate and mysterious notes, which often attract us to the same scents. We do love each other’s smell, which is where it all starts.

IT: I tend to like complex, abstract aromas that are beyond time, like my fashion designs. I enjoy smelling through layers and being delighted by the unexpected surprise.

PS: What role did fashion play in the creation of the fragrances and the packaging?

IT: Creating a perfume felt like a natural progression in evolving my aesthetic. I really wanted to create a mini fragrance wardrobe to allow you to dress your moods. Fashion is the language of symbols and fragrance is the aura of your style.

RT: I wanted the graphics and the packaging to reflect Isabel's inside-out approach to fashion design — she puts all the wonderful secrets of couture into the seams. The insides of her designs are marvels of engineering and an artistic delight to peek at. This is why the inside of the box is painted with a whole entire universe, to delight the woman who owns it. Like Isabel's clothes, the inner workings of the design of the box are complex, but the results are a pleasure to look at.

PS: Why launch two of them at the same time?

IT: Fragrance speaks a secret language and I wanted to give women the ingredients to help dress her moods. I've always enjoyed dressing in fragrances; the sense of smell is a very powerful and emotional motivator, which can awaken all other senses. Both fragrances complement each other. They wear well when layered at different times and for different occasions.

RT: Since we have such different points of views on just about everything, it was natural for us to arrive at different fragrance destinations, but that’s precisely why they layer well. They have a yin/yang synergy that makes them fragrant lovers. Crystal Honey is a light, fruit-infused, highly social scent like your best girlfriend, and Kuba Rose is a mysterious and textured blend of Italian bergamot, peony, and tuberose. It is a lovers scent. This is the scent you give your heart to.

PS: What's the story behind the names?

RT: It was a long process because it is like naming your baby . . . and we had two at once!

IT: We wanted the names to be somewhat abstract but evocative of the mood I wanted to conjure.

RT: We both like words, but react very differently to how they are used — we utilize language very differently, so it was a challenge to please each other in that department.

IT: I wanted you to have to pronounce the hard K in Kuba Rose, so it sounds like we natives say it, like a deep, heartfelt drumbeat.

RT: Crystal Honey aromatically splashes light around in an innocently seductive way, like a chandelier does. It smells like joyous, riotous glamour, which puts a smile on your face.