Some people find their calling too late, while others spend a lifetime searching in vain. This young lady, on the other hand, found hers when she was just 15. She had a whiff of an idea and followed her nose through to create Atin, a world-class Filipino home fragrance brand that exudes Philippine pride.
By DENISE ROCO-De LEON / Photography by MAU AGUASIN
How do you capture the warmth of the afternoon sun and a mild sea breeze on the shore of your favorite beach without taking a snapshot, without using words? Impossible, you think. Well, that was until 21-year-old Sabrina Co showed us how it’s done. She has mastered the sophisticated art of preserving a place, an experience or a thing — elegantly putting it in a bottled essence that you can reminisce about and enjoy.
“I’ve always had a sensitive nose. I smell everything. The smell helps me retain memories, like when I travel,” she starts off. As she traveled across Europe and Asia though, she wondered what she could take home as a pasalubong for her loved ones when she returned. The usual souvenir items just didn’t make the cut for her. She wanted to share something meaningful, something that carried memories of her trip.
On that same note, she wondered about the pasalubongs from the Philippines, which she could give out to her friends and family when she visits them abroad. She wanted something besides the usual dried mangoes.
As she searched her memory, she recalled the scents from her trip ever so clearly. What her eyes couldn’t see in the souvenir shops, her nose found. She remembered clearly the perfume-like scents of France and the olfactory adventures she had in Asia. Suddenly, the penny dropped.
She would bring with her the gift of scent, even if she had to make it herself.
“At that time, I didn’t know anything about concocting fragrances or product design. I had to study for four to six months on what makes good scents, and how to turn them into actual products,” she shares.
With the help of her parents Arnold and Ruth Co, the 15-year-old Sabrina conducted focus group discussions with both the young and old on which scents they prefer. “They would say lavender and lemongrass. Lemongrass is Thai. Lavender is French. Those aren’t Filipino,” she shares. Sabrina would sigh in frustration in her search for the ideal Filipino scents, but this pushed her desire to pursue fragrances as a business even more.
Knowing the value of training and education, the Cos sent their daughter out into the world to chase her heart’s passions. By 2014, she was interning under her mentor, senior perfumer Isabelle Cutri from 350-year-old perfumery house Charabot, in Grasse, France. “She taught me the difference between natural and synthetic ingredients, what works well, what alcohol content you put to create the perfect balance,” Sabrina recalls fondly.
Sabrina also approached Kultura when she was only a teenager. Armed with a sincere heart and a clear vision of what she wanted, Sabrina faced the burdensome realities of her predicament. This is also when she learned the importance of balancing her personal tastes with the preferences of her potential clients.
“I noticed that I love masculine scents. People here in the Philippines, on the other hand, like the citrusy and fresh, floral and sweet. I had to ask many people because it’s so different from what I like. ’Would there be a lot of competition? Would anyone appreciate what I’m doing? Will people take me seriously, even though I’m very young?’ Those were the questions I had to answer, but I did it!” the young lady exclaims with glee.
Thus, Atin came into existence. The Filipino word atin translates to “ours” in English. It is a name that reflects Sabrina’s vision of a brand that would innovate and produce a superior line of products — a brand at par with the best in the world, but with inherent and modern Filipino characteristics. Atin represents the new global Filipino’s beliefs and aspirations, and inspires others to join in their mission. Therefore, Atin becomes an acronym for “Aiming To Inspire a Nation,” which also serves as the brand’s tagline.
Today, Atin is available in various Kultura stores nationwide, as well as in Go Lokal! stores such as the ones located in Duty Free.
Smells like inspiration
Sabrina originally began with 12 unique fragrances in the form of reed diffusers, which has now expanded to soy wax candles, room and linen sprays, and automatic air freshener dispensers. “I don’t think people are using their sense of smell to remember what we have here in this beautiful country,” states the bubbly junior college student from Syracuse University.
Some fragrances are named after travel destinations in the Philippines such as Palawan, Boracay, Intramuros and Burnham Park, while others evoke memories of walking through your grandmother’s garden (Hardin) or of buying fresh produce for the week (Fruit Market). She also pays homage to our favorite local fruits (Dalandan, Piña, Guava, Mangosteen, Mango Tree) and even the aroma of our commonly used rice (Milagrosa). Of course there’s the national flower (Sampaguita) and the delightfully sweet and refreshing Coconut Palm.
Sabrina recently launched her new premium line, which adds six more fragrances. These new fragrances are emboldened with two or more accords per note. The premium line, labelled Dawn, Dusk and Midnight, stands out as a more complex concoction retaining Filipino flair. This 2018, Atin will also launch a collection of precious ceramic plates inspired by Filipiniana prints with botanical and costume designs, as well as convenient and classy ceramic diffusers.
If there’s anything that can be learned from Sabrina’s story, it’s that the power of scents should never be underestimated. From scents that inspired a young girl to start a business, to a business that brings the best of the Philippines to the world — everything is in full bloom for Sabrina and Atin.
