ISSY, as a brand, has cemented its identity without relying on a conventional exterior. While the local beauty brand has produced visually captivating campaigns for its launches, it continues to reflect the team’s belief in products rooted in identity, intention, and purpose. Rather than defining itself by a typical brand persona, ISSY pushes for something deeper: Who are you in today’s vast and complex culture?
The question might feel a bit reaching but ISSY appears to have cracked the code. As co-founder and creative director Joel Martin Andrade puts it, ISSY is all about self-expression. Each carefully designed release serves as a tool to help us express ourselves. This idea is evident in how the products have subtly evolved to reflect today’s diverse makeup aesthetics. From clean, minimalist looks to bolder, edgier styles, the brand has it covered.
That sentiment makes it clear why ISSY’s recent fragrance launch felt so natural. The local beauty scene—a cutthroat one—is no stranger to scent releases, but the brand entered the category with a thoughtful twist: three distinct bottles, each with a unique scent, yet all harmoniously connected. It took a sharp creative vision to turn one concept into three layered interpretations. And yes—believe it or not—it all began with just one bottle.
“While we’re not the first ones to do it, I wanted to go down that deconstruction route, because everything starts with the intention of the product,” says Joel Martin Andrade, reflecting on how the three scents came to life.
A Conversation in Scent
To truly understand how the fragrance line came to be, we sat down with Andrade for an exclusive interview. He shares insights not just on the brand’s entry into the category, but also on a deeper appreciation for scent—and what it can represent when given the space to speak.
“To be honest, I really have a deep love for perfumery. I see it as both a science and an art form,” says Andrade, who admits that he has a range of eccentric fragrances in his collection—eccentric already being an intriguing word to describe one’s olfactory archive.
He goes on to share the beauty in such variety. Although unconventional, each perfume has its own story—a character in itself. And that, he says, is the invitation: to explore different sides of ourselves, to slowly unfold
our many layers.
This sentiment captures how Andrade approaches perfumery. Rather than centering everything around a single note, he considers how a fragrance can be layered—not just in scent, but in meaning. When he describes scent as “multifaceted,” he isn’t referring to its olfactory complexity, but to how it can mirror aspects of identity. It raises questions like: Who are you right now? With this scent, what am I manifesting? What kind of people am I attracting today?
“Because I like perfumes, I do change. For example, when I met this specific person, I was wearing a particular scent, but it was just an introduction of me. But because I got more into you, even with your changes or different faces, I accept that as well because you made me love you,” he shares.
This kind of understanding of fragrance naturally leads one to approach it with both creativity and respect. At this point, a scent is no longer just a scent; it becomes a representation of everything a person is and can become. Here lies the power of intention, identity, and purpose—with fragrance as a medium.
A Highly Conceptual Piece
For the perfume, the idea was to create a modern scent. Andrade’s perspective on one-note fragrances—“If it’s a rose, it’s a rose scent, and everything revolves around the rose”—informed this approach. While that method isn’t necessarily wrong, he was more interested in deconstructing scent and recontextualizing what a fragrance could be. In the world of creativity, intention sets the tone for how a piece is received. “While we’re not the first ones to do it, I wanted to go down that deconstruction route, because everything starts with the intention of the product.”
During the initial stages of product development, Andrade says the team was highly intuitive in their decision-making. Instead of following current fads, it was curiosity and a strong sense of identity that ultimately made their releases feel cohesive and coherent. In Andrade’s words: “We didn’t come with a plan, but we came in with a vision, and the brand team knew what was part and not part of it. It was those intuitive choices that led us to a very tight edit at the end of the day.”
With a shared attitude like that, it’s no surprise the fragrances were well-received by the local beauty scene. It’s telling when a brand listens to its audience rather than skimming through the data. While analytics are essential, there’s something deeply human about using emotion and intuition as creative tools. Fragrance, then, becomes a medium for capturing a moment or a feeling. Andrade hoped the three scents could express exactly that. “At this point, it’s all about pro-choice and individuality,” he says. “It is why the three scents don’t smell the same. But at the same time, we can also come together—and it’s a beautiful thing to come together.”
From One to Three
So, how does one deconstruct a scent? In fashion, deconstruction often refers to designing by first understanding the fundamentals—then using various, often unorthodox, techniques to reshape the standard structure. Since it’s a complex method, a lot of discipline is required for this type of creative process. As Andrade puts it: “You can’t destroy something without knowing how to put it back together.”
As mentioned earlier, the fragrance line began with one scent, and you can still experience this combination by layering all three. However, something was lacking, and Andrade and his team knew they could push it further. With a multi-layered, more complex approach in mind, the idea of ‘finding it yourself’ emerged—an unconventional move, but one that feels distinctly ISSY.
The fragrance 492 (Scent of Possibility) offers a crisp and clean feel. 551 (Scent of Familiarity) is intriguing—perhaps unnoticed at first, but magnetic once detected. And 030 (Scent of Intensity) has a sharp and warm aura—leathery, yet slightly fruity after it simmers down. All three are distinct in their own right. That’s why they stand apart—different layers of ISSY uncovered, yet perfectly balanced when brought together.
Designing a Feeling
If there’s one moment that left a lasting impression, it’s the launch of the fragrance line. The multi-sensory event showcased the meticulous creative process behind the scents. Each of the fragrances was visually represented through fashion and identity, paired with audio and olfactory experiences via headphones and fragrance-sprayed fans arranged in dedicated rows.
Conceptualizing this experience coincided with the development stage of the collection. “What we did was we made mood boards for each scent. We had music, as well as articles of clothing that resonated with the scent. We put all these in a room,” shares Andrade. Through this form of experiential deliberation, the scents were given life—not through favoritism, but through shaping a feeling in a bottle.
Where Identity Meets Intimacy
Given the thought and care behind the process, it’s clear why the fragrances took two years to develop. Andrade and the team didn’t aim to offer a linear scent. Instead, they sought to create fragrances that could stand on their own while still allowing people to connect with them on a personal level.
Truly, discovering one’s identity today is no easy feat. With the countless aesthetics and ‘cores’ out there, where does one draw the line between individuality and conformity? For Andrade, this is where identity matters most. “I think perfumes have a lot of power. It can be a reflection of where you are at the moment, but at the same time, a scent or a perfume can also tie us to the past,” he says. “And while we’re at it, wearing a scent can also be a manifestation of who you want to be.”
When the world feels chaotic, sometimes the most grounding thing we can do is remember who we are and where we stand. And while it may seem subtle, fragrance is a powerful storyteller—one that reveals our identity and how we wish to be seen.
One of Andrade’s quirks is catching a whiff of someone’s fragrance and feeling like he understands something about them. He shares, “I may not know your whole story, but I can get a chapter or two about you, and that makes you more human.” Much like two people bonding over a shared love for jasmine or cherries, a quiet kinship can bloom in an instant. To a certain extent, fragrance helps us understand one another.
Adding a romantic twist, Andrade notes that fragrance works on a subconscious level. A passing whiff can leave a lasting impression. “If it’s a familiar scent, you feel like you have a connection with this person. But if it’s foreign, it becomes enticing, and then it creates intrigue.” This sentiment serves as a mere introduction—an invitation to let someone into your world or spark their interest.
“At this point, it’s all about pro-choice and individuality—that’s why the three scents don’t smell the same,” says Andrade. “But at the same time, they can come together—and there’s something beautiful about that.”
The idea of having a sense of identity without compromising connection is another layer infused in the collection. From the distinct yet harmonious blend of notes across the three scents to the visuals of togetherness in the campaign, Andrade and the team successfully demonstrated the role of fragrance today—as a way to communicate when words are scarce or fall short.
To put it aptly, he shares, “Fragrances today, weirdly, can send messages, and it’s so much more important as they are less spoken about nowadays.”
The Last Layer
Always attuned to how the local beauty scene responds, Andrade understands that opinions will vary. But his fear doesn’t lie in criticism—it lies in silence. That in itself is admirable, and fitting for a team rooted in creativity, intention, identity, and purpose.
“Some people might think it’s frivolous, but the people who say that haven’t honed the power of fragrance yet. And in ISSY, we understand its power,” he says. “We’ve discussed how it’s powerful, like teleporting you to a future you want or connecting you to a past, allowing you to live in the moment. In ISSY, even with our makeup, we’re just giving you the tools for you to be able to express yourself and to get the life you want.”
Andrade closes with grace: “I know at some point, the people who are wearing the scents will bypass me, and that’s just how it should be. I’m just an entry point because I want them to explore the beautiful world of fragrances. I’m just opening that door for them.”
492, Scent of Possibility
P1,499, ISSY
551, Scent of Familiarity
P1,499, ISSY
030, Scent of Intensity
P1,499, ISSY
