Marc-Antoine Barrois presents Mission Aldebaran
Salone dei Tessuti
Via San Gregorio 29, Milan
Tuesday 8th – Sunday 13th April Opening times: 10am – 8pm
Porta Venezia Design District 2025
Marc-Antoine Barrois presents Mission Aldebaran
A CELESTIAL AND IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION FOR MILAN DESIGN WEEK APPEARANCE
At Milan Design Week, and on the occasion of his Salone del Mobile debut, Parisian couturier Marc-Antoine Barrois will debut his newest perfume ALDEBARAN with a large-scale installation designed by French designer Antoine Bouillot. Grounded by the fragrance, the installation combines 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.
FURNITURE
THE SPACE TRANSFORMED INTO A DREAMLIKE ENVIRONMENT
The MISSION ALDEBARAN installation will take place at the historic Salone dei Tessuti, an iconic 1930s Milanese landmark once central to the city’s bustling fabric trade. The venue will be transformed into a dreamlike environment where light breaks through darkness, a homage to the fragrance’s namesake and an ode to optimism’s perseverance. Visitors are 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.
« 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
MISSION ALDEBARAN PARTNERS
Among the prestigious contributors to the ALDEBARAN MISSION, who have shared their vision of optimism, we can highlight composer Thomas Roussel, whose musical creation will accompany 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.
MISSION ALDEBARAN DETAILS
The fragrance will be exclusively previewed at the installation before its global launch and the furniture will be available for purchase at Marc-Antoine Barrois flagships in Paris and London. Visitors to Milan Design Week are invited to immerse themselves in MISSION ALDEBARAN at Salone dei Tessuti, from April 8th to 13th .
ABOUT MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS
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. ENCELADE and Ganymede Extrait follow, along with the House’s first floral, TILIA, the fragrance of happiness and a summer that never ends. 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.
ABOUT ANTOINE BOUILLOT
Internationally recognized as a contemporary, timeless, and innovative artist, Antoine Bouillot is represented by the prestigious New York agency StudioTwentySeven. Based in Paris, he designs commercial and residential spaces where art and functionality blend effortlessly. A true luminary in contemporary design and architecture, he is also the founder of Honneur Society, his own architectural practice and a testament to his singular vision and creative ethos.
Salone dei Tessuti
Via San Gregorio 29, Milan
Tuesday 8th – Sunday 13th April Opening times: 10am – 8pm