India, Oct. 1 -- The name Marc-Antoine Barrois might mean nothing to you or me, but his visit to Mumbai earlier this month generated a hum of excitement in the fragrance addicts community. With polarising perfumes such as B683, named after the planet in the cult classic novel The Little Prince, and Ganymede, whose main notes include imortelle and incense, the couturier and fragrance brand entrepreneur is a rising star in the niche perfume industry.

Barrois, who co-founded his eponymous young brand along with perfumer Quentin Bisch, was in Mumbai to launch Tilia, an indescribably alluring tango of floral and spicy notes, and a highly uncommon fragrance. Which is, of course, the whole point of niche perfumes - you are wearing a fragrance n...