His memories of those long-gone trips with his grandparents have inspired him to create a perfume that he has called Polish Potato. The scent is the subject of a flurry of social media activity.
People, of course, are surprised that anyone would be so bold to create and market a perfume named after a humdrum and ubiquitous vegetable; hence the flurry.
But, as Lach tells TVP World, the scent is created to take people back to a certain moment in his life and the rich and evocative memories that surround it.
“I create my scents as an olfactory déjà vu. Polish Potato transports us to Żywiec, a provincial town in Poland, in the 1980s," says Lach. "Every Wednesday, I accompanied my grandparents to the market to buy provisions for the winter months.”
The perfume aims to encapsulate the surge of emotions Lach felt as a young boy entering the lively market. “For children today, visiting Disneyland would bring that same excitement. For me, the farmers' market was a gateway to another world, as dynamic as the souks of Dubai or the floating markets of Thailand, which I would later visit,” he says.
The perfume’s producer, BOHOBOCO, describes it as opening with earthy notes of beetroot, golden wheat, pine and leather.
Memory in a bottle
At its heart, BOHOBOCO says, is a fragrant blend of the aromas of potatoes, roses, heliotropes, and carnations. The composition concludes with warm undertones of patchouli, birch, moist soil, oud, amber, vanilla and honey.
But it is the potato that provides the cultural linchpin vital to the scent, which is, perhaps, not surprising given the vegetable’s cultural and culinary significance in Poland.
While today they are usually bought in supermarkets, not long ago potatoes were typically purchased directly from farmers and stored in cool cellars. Lach vividly recalls how meticulously his grandfather would search for the perfect potatoes.
“For us, the potato wasn't just food bought on a whim. It was sustenance for the entire winter. Going to the market was like hunting for treasure. My grandparents chose those tubers as if they were selecting fine jewelry.”
All this, Lach hopes, will make customers, both male and female, part with the princely sum of $170 for a 1.7 fl. oz bottle; a price aligning it with other niche luxury fragrances in the perfume world.
The scent is due to become available on October 16.
Years in the making
It took Lach three years to create the scent. The main challenge, he says, lay in creating a fragrance that reflected the earthy scent of potatoes – intriguing, yet not off-putting. After numerous trials, Lach succeeded in turning his vision into a perfume that, even before its official launch, had already gone viral in Poland and abroad.
“At trade events, our scents are always described as ‘unique.’ Initially, there's shock and disbelief, but then comes appreciation and recognition. BOHOBOCO perfumes speak for themselves, even without a big marketing budget,” Lach says.
Despite the booming luxury cosmetics market in Poland, success with a homegrown brand remains a challenge.
Lach points out that in the past his creations gained recognition in his homeland only after international accolades, including becoming a finalist in the newcomer category at the 2020 Fragrance Foundation UK Awards and another finalist at Beauty World Middle East in 2021.
After showcasing his early collections, BOHOBOCO perfumes began selling at prestigious stores like 10 Corso Como in Milan and the Nose Shop in Paris, followed by locations in New York and San Francisco. This international success paved the way for recognition in Poland – a trajectory opposite to that of perfumers in countries with established fragrance markets like France or Saudi Arabia.
Set to go viral around the globe
Polish Potato is set to follow in the footsteps of BOHOBOCO’s other scents, such as Wet Cherry Liquor and Vanilla Black Pepper, which have already garnered loyal followings. They are also perfumes that evoke a distinctive Polish memory, free from the constraints of producing a fragrance designed to appeal to mainstream tastes.
This artistic freedom allows Lach, he says, to share his unique experiences, like savoring traditional Polish Christmas dishes (Vanilla Black Pepper) or serving as an altar boy at Catholic Mass (Olibanum Gardenia), all encapsulated within a perfume bottle.
“I don't create my scents for Poles or any other nationality. I deeply care about the individual response, no matter where someone is from. Each perfume is my way of communicating with the world, sharing my vision,” Lach says.
