Marc-Antoine Barrois presents Mission Aldebaran

Parisian couturier Marc-Antoine Barrois debuted his newest perfume ALDEBARAN with a large-scale installation designed by French designer Antoine Bouillot. Grounded by the fragrance, the installation combined olfactory art and experiential design to immerse visitors in Barrois and Bouillot’s interpretation of optimism and hope amidst challenging times.

Developed in collaboration with longtime collaborator and perfumer Quentin Bisch, ALDEBARAN is a single flower fragrance that embodies the essence of the tuberose, a plant known as “the flower of the night” for its bloom’s potency when in the dark of night. The perfume itself is named for the giant red star Al-Debaran. Discovered in the Middle Ages and burning 400 times brighter than the sun, the celestial body is a symbol of hope and optimism.

The MISSION ALDEBARAN installation took place at the historic Salone dei Tessuti, an iconic 1930s Milanese landmark once central to the city’s bustling fabric trade. The venue was transformed into a dreamlike environment where light broke through darkness, a homage to the fragrance’s namesake and an ode to optimism’s perseverance. Visitors were prompted to enter a mirrored cube at the center of the Salone and find themselves within a dense forest of ropes shrouded in darkness and silence.

Compelled to navigate through the obscurity, they emerge into a bright clearing at the heart of the exhibition.

This installation was awarded the Fuorisalone2025 best prize.

« I BELIEVE THAT SCENT IS AN EXPERIENCE, A STORY, A JOURNEY. THE INSTALLATION AND FRAGRANCE ALDEBARAN EMBODIES OPTIMISM, INVITING VISITORS TO LOSE THEMSELVES IN DARKNESS ONLY TO REDISCOVER THE BRILLIANCE OF LIGHT AND FRAGRANCE. »MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS

« EVERY ELEMENT CREATED FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CONCEIVED TO CAPTURE AND CONVEY THE PROFOUND EMOTIONS MARC-ANTOINE AND I EXPERIENCED WITH THIS PERFUME. EACH PART TELLS ITS OWN STORY, IMBUED WITH MEANING… THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS VISION WITH SO MANY PEOPLE BRINGS ME IMMENSE JO Y. »ANTOINE BOUILLOT

Among the prestigious contributors to the ALDEBARAN MISSION, who have shared their vision of optimism, we can highlight composer Thomas Roussel, whose musical creation accompanied visitors throughout their immersive experience. Astrophysicist Anthony Salsi contributed his expertise in defining the vibration and temperature of the celestial body featured in the installation. Scientist Researcher Aurélie Jean explored the parallels between algorithms and optimism, while philosopher Marie Robert shed light on the boldness of responsible optimism. Finally, navigator and adventurer Armel Le Cléac’h, an eternal optimist, brilliantly prefaced the exhibition’s commemorative book.

After 10 years’ experience in the world of Haute Couture, working with Dominique Sirop and Jean-Paul Gaultier, Marc-Antoine Barrois founded his own Couture Maison – an independent space where his creativity could flourish through the creation of exceptional made-to-measure garments. Since 2016, his creative universe has also embraced the world of Haute Parfumerie, collaborating with his friend and perfumer Quentin Bisch. Together, they share a free spirit and radical creativity. In 2016, Marc-Antoine Barrois launched his first fragrance, B683, a nod to the world of childhood and the Little Prince asteroid, which was noticed and distributed at Colette in Paris. Three years later, he launched Ganymede and invented a new accord never before smelled: leather-mineral, which became cult and rewarded by the industry on numerous occasions. In 2025, the duo Marc-Antoine and Quentin Bisch take up a new challenge, to encapsulate optimism in a fresh, bewitching fragrance ALDEBARAN, which will be previewed at the Milan Design Fair as part of a unique artistic and immersive installation. 2025 will also see the launch of a line of elegant, timeless white shirts. Imbued with poetry and utopia, Marc-Antoine Barrois’ singular creations are true to his signature: exceptional, sincere and respectful.