SENSS 4.0 - Aromatic Jewellery

The idea

SENSS is a project that combines industrial engineer thinking (accurate manufacturing skill) and sensual-tech (a modular system of scented liquid) into craftsmanship (jewellery).

The idea for the project was conceived back in 2016 by Wan Tseng, WISP’s Design Leader, who was frustrated by the lack of sensual driven innovations. She was interested in the arousal of the senses and wanted to challenge the stigma that surrounded the topic of female sensuality.

With a vision to change the conversation around intimacy, we held focus groups and experimented testing different sensations. Through the mode of delightful design and pleasurable technology, we wanted to create something tactile and emotional, with smells that evoked the wearer’s memory and ability to relax.

As a creative product studio, WISP Ltd. aimed to develop wearable accessories into a new stage with different sensual experiences. We believed that combining "smell" (scented liquid) into wearable objects would bring a new aesthetic of sensual experiences into the fashion industry.

The birth

Investing in scented and massage jewellery is primarily driven by feelings, aesthetics, and wellbeing. SENSS jewellery offers a unique combined experience that is irreplaceable. Whereas massage and perfume are invisible self-care purchases, SENSS is a visual wearable statement that empowers the wearer to openly communicate their sensuality.

The design was inspired by the intimate relationships we have with our bodies. How do you touch, how do you interact with your body? Each jewellery piece connects you to a sensitive body part, forming a more curious and intimate relationship.

Massaging the stone releases muscle tension in your palms, inner arms, neck, and shoulders throughout the day. Evocative fragrances help to relax the body and calm the mind in order to re-center when making decisions during a busy and stressful day.

The sensual experience can also be shared with a partner in the evening for enhancing intimacy.

The price of the jewellery is akin to taking a mini vacation, to enjoy the relaxation and independence aspects - SENSS offers this in the palm of your hand. Our value proposition is to make a statement for female empowerment with evocative wearables.

The creative process

It’s really rare and difficult to embed scented liquid into the jewellery. In order to do this, we applied "sensual tech" - a patent-pending self-releasing fragrance mechanism and multi-functional modular system into SENSS jewellery collection.

This technology naturally diffuses the scent without interacting with the skin or clothes - making the fragrance composition a unique challenge.

This is what our perfumer, Harry Sherwood, told us:

“I enjoyed the challenge of formulating fragrances for the prototype product, the intricacies of technology and usage offering both opportunities (different ingredients allowed in this end usage) and hardships (the scent has to be complex but linear structurally) in terms of fragrance design. Finally, I enjoyed the balance between the very well-prepared moodboards which serve as great communication for the scent design as well as the freedom to work on fragrance types that I enjoy.”

With our ideas, the perfume jewellery, we can create, and expand a new market from both fashion accessories and perfume industry. All our partners have developed and brought new skills and innovative thinking to traditional craftsmanship.

The collaboration

Working as a group has benefited us massively. Our three partners worked as a team across the EU in designing modular, multi-functional jewellery collection to create sensual experiences. Combined craftsmanship (Luci Di Stelle’s goldsmith based in Milan, Italy), design thinking and tech (WISP’s design, based in London, UK), sensual experience (H.Sherwood’s perfume, based in London, UK) bring the new modular system to the wearable object.

Alongside our primary partners, we also collaborated with other experts such as fashion innovator Silvia Zancarli, who advised us in the jewellery field; Collision Maker, Koen Snoekx our WORTH mentor who supported us through connections and sales; and various Instagram illustrators who supported our visual marketing.

The future

While we will continue to develop new designs, though we do not expect to see this product as mass-produced. Our main focus and efforts in the next three years will be on distribution and marketing. Thus, creating and sustaining the movement of independent and open-minded women who will collaborate into making this product a symbol of such a way of thinking.