Togetherness Wish of Joshua Hong
In this Korea.net interview, founder Rami Mekdachi opens the door to the Lola James Harper universe—our Seoul flagship, the craft of turning places into scents and images, and a creative friendship with SEVENTEEN’s Joshua Hong. A clear view of how memories become candles, perfumes, photographs, and films
THE INTERVIEW
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1970s and raised in Paris, France. As a teenager, music, photography, and film were my ways of expressing myself—my language of emotions and storytelling. Perfume came into my life a bit later, around the age of 27, when I met two extraordinary perfumers: Pierre Bourdon and Benoît Lapouza. They opened my eyes to the poetic and emotional dimension of scent.
In my twenties, I began to see how sound and scent were deeply connected. Both are invisible and intangible—you can’t touch them, you can’t see them—but they move you deeply. They even share the same vocabulary: notes, chords, composition. And both were originally linked to rituals and sacred spaces. In temples, you always had both sound and scent, creating a ceremonial moment of human connection.
That realization led me, in the 1990s in Paris, to search for what I felt were the “new temples” of our modern time—places where people gather with intention. Just near my home, there were two such places: the concept store Colette, on rue Saint-Honoré, and the iconic Hôtel Costes. I met Colette Roussaux and Jean-Louis Costes, and together we pioneered the idea of creating the scent of a place. That’s how my journey in perfumery began—not in isolation, but as a continuation of my work in music and visual storytelling.
Throughout my thirties, I continued making music, photography, and film. I was shooting for rock and music magazines, playing in bands, directing art and scent for houses like Chloé, Lacoste, and Roger Vivier.
Then, when I turned 40, after years of traveling with my family—my wife Céline, my daughter Lili, and my son Noé—we realized that we had gathered something precious: thousands of photographs, original songs, films, and scents from all over the world, all rooted in real encounters and meaningful places. That’s when we decided to give it a name and turn it into a full art project: Lola James Harper.
Lola James Harper is our family’s artistic expression. It’s a project about togetherness and sharing. It’s about capturing the spirit of iconic places and inspiring people through scent, music, photography, and film. Every product we create is an invitation to step into a moment, a place, or a memory—to feel connected.
For me, perfume-making is never just about scent—it’s about capturing a moment, a feeling, a place, or a person. Being a photographer, filmmaker, and musician has shaped the way I approach perfume: I always think in terms of storytelling, atmosphere, and emotion. Just like a photograph frames a moment, or a song carries a mood, a scent can hold an entire memory.
Traveling the world with my family—meeting people, discovering studios, basketball courts, gardens, cafés, and temples—has taught me that beauty lives in the details. It’s in the light of a certain hour, the warmth of a welcome, or the smell of a room where something beautiful happened. Every scent I create is based on a real place or a real encounter. It’s not imagined. It’s remembered.
Family, friendship, and the rhythm of a slower life are at the heart of everything we do with Lola James Harper. I don’t believe in rushing creation. I believe in letting time do its work—letting a moment settle in the body before translating it into scent. My work is about honoring presence, presence with people and presence in places. That’s why each fragrance we create is like a snapshot, a film still, or a song—it carries the soul of the moment that inspired it.
So yes, my love for music, image, and travel doesn’t just influence my perfume-making—it is my perfume-making.
One morning, we woke up and noticed something unusual—every single minute, someone was buying our The Comics Store room spray on our eShop. It was wild. This scent, inspired by the warm, woody atmosphere of an old comic book store in New York, had never been one of our top sellers. It’s beautiful, but a bit more niche. So we checked what was happening—and that’s when we discovered that Joshua Hong had mentioned it in a Vogue interview, saying it was his favorite scent and brand.
I was genuinely moved. Not just because someone with such a global voice spoke about our work, but because he did it with such passion, sincerity, and knowledge. Joshua isn’t just someone who likes perfume—he’s a true aficionado. He really understands the craft. When I visited his home later, I saw how deep his knowledge goes. He knows all the niche and mainstream brands, and he has a clear, refined point of view on scent.
From that moment on, a real friendship began. We DMed him to thank him, not expecting much—he has millions of followers—but he responded almost immediately. We ended up on a call soon after, and I shared with him one of our films about music, friendship, and togetherness. He watched it and we had a deep conversation about art, fragrance, and the way we live.
We connected on many levels. Joshua was born in Los Angeles and moved to Seoul later on. I was born in Beirut and raised in Paris. We both know what it means to carry multiple cultures within you. And since my family and I spend our summers in L.A., it felt like we already had this shared geography, this shared rhythm.
So yes, the fact that he loves The Comics Store scent means a lot to me. It was the spark that began a beautiful, sincere friendship built on mutual respect and artistic dialogue. And for that, I’m truly grateful.
Lola James Harper has always been more than a scent brand—it’s a way to share places, moments, and philosophies of life. Through our candles and room sprays, we invite people into inspiring spaces: a vinyl store, a music studio, a fashion museum, a comic book shop… Lighting a candle teleports your home to another place. It changes the atmosphere around you.
But our eau de toilette collection does something different—it changes your mindset. Just like putting on an outfit that shifts how you walk or see the world, wearing a scent can help express a philosophy of life. That’s why our fragrances are named after mantras: Just Say Yes (rose and cardamom), Little by Little with Joy (orange blossom), Everything Will Come Together (vetivero). Each scent is a reminder of a way to live, a perspective to embody.
So when Joshua and I began to collaborate, it was natural that we would work across both of these dimensions: place and mindset. Our conversations—whether walking by the Seine in Paris, in Seoul, or in Los Angeles—were always deep, centered around values, creativity, and human connection. We quickly saw that we shared the same belief: that togetherness is essential.
Togetherness is not just an idea for Joshua—it’s something he embodies. As a UNESCO ambassador, he’s devoted to sharing that message with youth all over the world. And for us, togetherness is the soul of Lola James Harper. Our first film is called With, because we believe music and art are born from being with others. Everything we do—from our family travels to our collaborations—is about capturing the magic that happens when people come together.
That’s why we decided to create two scents with Joshua. One is a candle and room spray inspired by the Han River Walk in Seoul—a peaceful place he loves to go, where he meditates and reflects. It’s a green tea and wood scent that brings you into that serene moment.
The second is an eau de toilette called Togetherness. And here, we wanted the composition to reflect the idea itself. We mixed unexpected ingredients—green tea, matcha, spices, woods—elements that don’t normally appear together. But the result is rich, complex, and harmonious, just like real human connection. That’s the beauty of togetherness—it makes space for contrasts, and transforms them into something deeper.
This scent is a celebration of unity, of openness, and of friendship across cultures. It’s a scent born from two artists who believe that the future will be built by coming together.
Creating a perfume is never just about blending raw materials or essential oils. It starts long before that—with meaning, with intention. The very first and most important step is asking: What do we want to share with the world? Is it a feeling, a memory, a place, or a philosophy?
With Joshua, that starting point was clear. We both wanted to express something deeply human—togetherness. Something invisible, intangible, but powerful. And to do that through scent, which is itself an invisible art, was incredibly meaningful. These first conversations—about what we believe in, about what inspires us—are the real beginning of the creation process. That alignment gives the scent its soul.
Once we had that shared vision, I worked in Paris with my longtime friend and collaborator, Benoît Lapouza, at Givaudan, one of the world’s leading perfume houses. From there, I would send each creation to Joshua in Korea. He would experience it in his own space and we’d exchange impressions, ideas, and adjustments over the phone. We fine-tuned every detail together, across continents.
The whole process took several months—not because it was complex in a technical sense, but because we gave it the time it needed to feel right. Perfume, like music or film, needs to resonate emotionally. And when you’re creating across borders, that emotional harmony becomes even more important. It was a beautiful and inspiring journey from Paris to Seoul and back again.
What I love most about working with Joshua is that he’s a true perfume aficionado. He deeply understands the world of fragrance, from niche houses to the most refined compositions. When you co-create with someone who knows and loves perfume at that level, the conversation becomes rich, nuanced, and inspiring. You’re speaking the same language from the very first moment.
But beyond his knowledge, what makes this collaboration truly meaningful is who he is as a person. Joshua is a wise, thoughtful, and generous friend. Our talks go far beyond perfume—we speak about life, music, identity, the creative process, and the values that matter to us both. Working with someone you trust and respect on such a human level makes everything more sincere and more joyful.
That’s why this project is so special to me. It’s not just a perfume collaboration—it’s the expression of a real friendship, a shared vision, and a mutual desire to bring something heartfelt and beautiful into the world.
There are so many meaningful memories with Joshua over these past few years—it’s hard to choose just one. One that really stays with me is a night walk we took in Paris, around midnight, along the Pont des Arts near the Louvre. It was autumn—not too cold, not too warm—and we just walked and talked for hours about upcoming projects, life, creativity. There was something timeless and peaceful about that moment. It felt like everything slowed down, and all that mattered was the conversation.
Another memory that stands out is seeing him perform in Los Angeles, three summers ago. It was an unforgettable concert—20,000 fans, a full three-hour show with music, dance, storytelling. I was so moved by the generosity of Joshua and Seventeen on stage. They give everything—to the music, to the fans, to the moment. It’s not just a performance—it’s a heartfelt dialogue, and I truly admire that spirit.
And then there are the simple, beautiful moments—like when he came to our music studio in Paris and we played together, or just recently in Seoul, when we picked up a guitar and started sharing songs. These are the kinds of memories that mean the most: creative, spontaneous, honest.
What’s really special is that, despite our age difference—I’m 50, he’s 30—we share the same passion for art, the same values, and the same way of seeing the world. It’s a friendship rooted in mutual respect and creativity, and I truly cherish it.
July 2nd, 2025, was a truly beautiful and emotional moment. Being at our Lola James Harper flagship store in Seoul and witnessing Joshua’s fans walk in, immediately connecting with the scents, the story, and the values we had poured into this project—it was deeply moving. They understood it right away. They felt the authenticity, the friendship, the philosophy behind it. That kind of instant, unspoken connection is rare and so precious.
There was a real sense of celebration in the air. Not just because we were launching a perfume or a candle—but because we were honoring something meaningful we had built together: a shared vision of togetherness, creativity, and sincerity. With Joshua and his incredible community, we created something truly unique.
Let’s not forget—we may be the first niche fragrance house to collaborate this closely with a K-pop icon. That alone makes this project groundbreaking. And having the HYBE team present at the launch made it feel even more like the beginning of a new chapter—something we’re still discovering, still shaping together.
So yes, July 2nd was much more than a launch. It was the birth of something new, generous, and genuine.
It’s truly incredible to witness the response from Joshua’s fans—and from CARATs all over the world. This is not just a fanbase; it’s a huge, devoted, loving community that has followed Joshua for over 10 years, and they know him so well. What amazed me most was how deeply they understood and embraced the project with Lola James Harper from the very first moment. The messages we received on Instagram were kind, thoughtful, and full of gratitude. Everyone seemed to get it—the values, the intention, the emotion behind Togetherness Wish.
What touched me most is how naturally this community connected with the essence of our work—friendship, creativity, and sincerity. Many of them knew that Joshua has a deep passion for fragrance, and it felt like they had been waiting for something like this. I didn’t expect to be welcomed with so much warmth and understanding. It’s a rare and beautiful thing to see such alignment between an artist, his fans, and a creative project.
A few days ago, I played guitar while Joshua sang a song that I had written with my daughter, Lili. Just the two of us, sharing a quiet moment of music and friendship. And when he chose to share that video with his community—it meant a lot. The reaction was overwhelming. People really felt the sincerity of that moment. It wasn’t staged, it wasn’t planned—it was just real. And I think that’s what this whole collaboration has been about: something true, something shared, something generous.
To all the CARATs and fans of Joshua, I just want to say: thank you. Thank you for your kindness, your trust, your support. I have so much respect for how you’ve received our work. And I feel proud and humbled to have helped bring to life one of Joshua’s dreams—a fragrance he truly believes in and helped shape.
Seeing that you’re happy with the perfume, with the candle, with the message—that’s a real accomplishment. Thank you.
Maybe we’ll record a song together.
Maybe we’ll create a short film or share a heartfelt interview.
Maybe we’ll develop a new photography series.
With Joshua, everything happens organically, through trust and friendship. We don’t force projects—we let them come to life when the time is right. And that’s the beauty of this collaboration. Time will tell what’s next.
Rami Mekdachi
