L'Officiel Nose: Patrick Kelly of Sigil Scent
Patrick Kelly is embarking on an artistic, old-meets-new adventure with Sigil Scent. The LA-based perfumer always had a fascination with the olfactory, from orange blossoms and roses in his grandmothers’ Florida backyards to California sage, so he taught himself the art of fragrance, first with essential oils and then through building his own brand. Kelly highlights his scent memories using old world techniques while inventing custom tinctures, creating fragrances that can transport those who experience it somewhere mystical with their exclusively natural ingredients. In addition to transcending time and reality, Sigil Scent’s lineup is gender-neutral, with a goal of each scent having the potential to fit any wearer. The brand truly provides fragrance for the future, aligning with contemporary interests while continuing to prioritize aesthetic magic through its inventive yet rooted approach.
A striking member of Sigil’s lineup is Amor Fati, a scent that displays the spirit’s resiliency through notes like oud, bergamot, and palo santo. Taking inspiration from an ancient philosophy of the same name, the fragrance argues all life experiences are essential to the cyclical beauty of existence, and its smoky, resinous profile symbolizes birth and death. There’s a revolutionary energy to this type of creation, so Kelly told L’Officiel USA about Amor Fati’s ancient inspiration, colorful spirit, and why it aligns with the transformative period of the late 1960s.
If Amor Fati was the star of its own movie, which actor would play the starring role?
Catherine Deneuve. Classy, sexy, and mysterious all at once.
What color(s) does it smell like?
Soft, pastel yellow slowly glowing brighter, transitioning into the bright red ember of a flame.
Which city/place in the world does Amor Fati encapsulate best?
The oldest monastic temples, churches full of thick incense smoke.
If you had to place Amor Fati in an iconic decade past, which one would it be?
Transitioning from the 1960s to 1970s. There’s a movement from holy woods to unfettered, ribald punk buried somewhere deep in there. Sniff hard. You’ll find it.
What item from your wardrobe would you compare it to?
A long, soft Damir Doma jacket (really more of a robe) with a tie-dyed velvet waist tie.
What genre of music do you think Amor Fati most aligns with and why?
Siouxsie Sioux covering Billie Holliday.
If Amor Fati had a night out on the town, what drink would it order at the bar?
Mezcal. Definitely, mezcal. Neat.
If you were to relate Amor Fati to a book, what would it be? Why?
The Saragossa Manuscript by Jan Potocki. It’s deeply mystical, layered, stories within stories. Potocki thought himself a werewolf. It didn’t end well; Google it. Still, he’d have loved Amor Fati, I think.
If Amor Fati had a soundtrack, what three sounds would play once you spray the scent?
"Toyboat" by Yoko Ono. "Hot on the Heels of Love" by Throbbing Gristle. "Kick in the Eye" by Bauhaus.
If it wasn’t called Amor Fati, what would it be called?
Oroboros, maybe. Or Yaysayer.
