Jasmina Aganovic Is Bringing Extinct Flowers Back From the Dead Through Scent
With her brand Future Society.
Extinction is capable of reversal — at least in perfume form. Revolutionizing the beauty industry with her groundbreaking approach to fragrance through biotechnology, Future Society founder Jasmina Aganovic has created a brand that brings back ancient flowers from the dead.
After a decade building and helping launch brands, Aganovic recognized the need for something new in fragrance. “After more than 10 years in the beauty industry, I started to see a sea of sameness across brands,” the founder told Hypebae. Tired of the industry’s blander offerings, she dedicated herself to the mission of disrupting the way we source ingredients.
By collaborating with scientists at Ginkgo Bioworks, Aganovic harnessed the genetic codes of extinct flowers to create newer, more captivating fragrances that we have never even had a chance to smell.
Below, we speak to Aganovic about how her passion for preserving the beauty of these lost blooms led to the birth of Future Society.
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On the creation of the brand
I wanted to disrupt the status quo using biotech. The idea for our flagship collection, “Scent Surrections,” emerged after scientists at Ginkgo Bioworks sequenced the genetic codes of extinct flower samples using preserved specimens from Harvard’s Herbarium. I started to wonder how perfumers would work with biological data as a muse for the creation of unique fragrances. I wanted to ensure that the stories of these flowers endured while demonstrating how science can be used creatively and impact our emotional connection to the world around us.
On the brand’s mission
Future Society is transforming the personal scent category with products made uniquely accessible through biology. By crafting one-of-a-kind fragrances, we want to provide consumers with a unique sensorial experience that feels simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic – starting with fragrances inspired by the DNA of extinct flowers.
On where she sees the brand in five years
Ultimately, our goal is to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible, delivering products that are category-shifting and inspire us to use biology to create the tomorrow we want to see. Our story began with fragrance, but we’re set to explore other categories in beauty as we use science to formulate the next frontier.
On her favorite products
Aside from our “Scent Surrection” fragrances (on my desk I’m currently burning a “Floating Forest” candle, which we just released), I love our one-of-a-kind “Optimal Habitat Fragrance Enhancing” primer. By working in harmony with the biology of your skin, it creates a balanced foundation for scents to flourish. This not only amplifies the fragrance from the moment you apply it, but also extends the life of your scent up to 24 hours, making it a must-have for anyone who’s ever been frustrated with fragrances that fade quickly.
On why she loves fragrance
I’m intrigued by the ways in which fragrance can help us to transcend traditional beauty standards and instead embrace beauty without ideals. Fragrance encourages us to explore what we find beautiful in ourselves and the world around us. Each scent can tell a story, evoke a feeling – or even transport us back in time – reminding us that beauty lies in our unique experiences and perceptions.
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On who’s inspired her
I’ve been inspired by many people that I have met at different stages of my life. They have always been women that defied stereotypes. For example, at MIT I was inspired by the women I met that were proud to be themselves in all their multidimensionality — scientists, hackers, fashionistas and the beauty obsessed. I found it so inspiring to see other women being proud of who they are and how they express themselves and not being defined by a stereotype.
On her dream collaborations
We have some exciting collaborations coming up with trailblazing brands which I’ve admired for many years. So, definitely keep an eye out for those in the coming months. In addition to product collaborations, we’re also working to expand our community network, with organizations like the Borneo Project, to support the people and habitats from which the extinct flowers that inspired our fragrances originated. Through partnerships like this, we aim to foster a more reciprocal world.
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