Just as hip-hop reshaped music and street art transformed galleries, multicultural perspectives in fragrance are moving from the margins to the center. The issue hasn\u2019t been intent, but market blind spots. \u201cIf you understand our culture, if we can identify with brands and founders, your success is undeniable,\u201d Ammin notes, pointing to LVMH\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> work with Virgil Abloh<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Haweya is direct: \u201cWe don\u2019t spend time on advocacy. We study our consumers and deliver the product they need, with a focus on ecosystem building and strategy.\u201d Their mission isn\u2019t about getting a seat at the table\u2014it\u2019s about building the table itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The co-founders\u2019 journey started outside beauty. In 2016, Mohamed and Youssouf launched Afrobytes<\/strong><\/a>, a Paris-based platform connecting African tech entrepreneurs with global investors. \u201cIf you were a founder in Nairobi,\u201d Ammin recalls, \u201cit was almost impossible to connect with San Francisco. Afrobytes became that bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They soon saw the same gap in beauty and fragrance. Africa was central to supply chains\u2014from Madagascan vanilla<\/strong><\/a> to Comorian ylang-ylang-<\/strong><\/a>yet African and diasporic voices were absent from decision-making.<\/span> \u201cBeauty and fragrance aren\u2019t just formulas,\u201d Haweya says. \u201cThey carry stories, rituals, identity. And too many of those stories were being erased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, The Colors<\/strong> was born: a platform embedding multicultural perspectives as the foundation of innovation and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than wait for permission, The Colors builds ecosystems: accelerators, workshops, and labs where entrepreneurs, corporates, and investors collaborate as equals. \u201cWhen you don\u2019t see yourself in the room, you can keep asking for a seat\u2014or you can build your own table,\u201d says Haweya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That ethos drives their upcoming New York gathering<\/strong><\/a>. Instead of panels, it\u2019s a working laboratory where ingredient suppliers, investors, and creators co-develop strategies. Sessions range from ingredient deep dives to new product formulation and sports-beauty collaborations ahead of the 2028 Olympics. The event also showcases The Colors Vanguard<\/strong><\/a>, an accelerator supporting multicultural perfumers often excluded from traditional schools in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At its core, the work reflects a simple truth: beauty and fragrance aren\u2019t just industries\u2014they\u2019re cultural movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fragrance, like music or art, is culture. Hip-hop sampled records when orchestras were inaccessible; graffiti claimed walls when galleries were closed. Dismissed at first, these movements redefined mainstream culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.scentbird.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Copie-de-ammin-and-haweya-photo-by-Tania-Feghali.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom Tech Bridges to Fragrance Ecosystems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Building Ecosystems, Not Seeking Inclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Soul Notes: A New Cultural Lexicon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n