Bottled Memories

Elizabeth Liau, founder of Maison de L’Asie, captures emotions and a sense of nostalgia with the scents she creates.

- Karen Tee

It was love at first sniff for Elizabeth Liau when she chanced upon an artisanal fragrance in a niche perfumery while vacationing in Florence many years ago. She snapped up all 10 bottles of the juice, which she counts among her prized possessions.

“This fragrance is something I’ve been studying intensively over the years. I’m trying to understand how it inspires in me a very contemplative, beautiful observation of all things,” says Liau, who has less than three bottles of the precious scent left.

And, now that she is the founder of luxury fragrance house Maison de L’Asie, she is not about to allow it to disappear forever. While she declines to reveal any further specifics, Liau says she is working on creating a scent that will evoke similar emotions when worn.