Stina Seger embodies chic sophistication, effortless cool, and extraordinary creativity—a perfect fusion of qualities that gave rise to a fragrance brand like Bibbi. As the brand so eloquently puts it, Bibbi “invites you to embark on an unparalleled olfactory adventure, a journey into the depths of the subconscious.”
Every fragrance in Bibbi’s collection boasts multi-layered complexity, revealing a subtly different scent profile each time you wear it. These intricate fragrances strike a rare balance: they feel modern and fresh, yet possess a timelessness that transcends fleeting trends.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into Stina’s creative process and explore the excitement surrounding Bibbi’s upcoming pop-up at Selfridges in London.
Interviewer: We first met just over a year ago at your UK press event, and I was instantly captivated—both by the “Bibbi Universe” you’ve built and the infectious passion you bring to the brand. That enthusiasm has kept me hooked ever since. Could you walk us through Bibbi’s origin story?
Stina: Thank you so much for your kind words. “Bibbi” is actually my nickname, so it felt natural to name the brand after it. Every creation is a dive into my subconscious—rooted in my own dreamlike experiences, which is where my creative process always begins.
I’ve practiced meditation for years, but I leaned into it more heavily at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, which coincided with the birth of my first child. During those deeply visceral meditation sessions, I would visualize people and places, and sense stories and narratives—all wrapped in the color blue. That vivid, sensory experience is what set me on the path to creating fragrances.
We began developing the brand in 2020, and finally launched at Liberty London in October 2023. It’s been such an incredible journey so far—truly a wonderful start for Bibbi.
Your fragrance Swimming Pool is like nothing I’ve smelled before, it’s incredible. Talk to me about the creative process of the fragrances from the formulation through to the unique names.
My creative process always begins with a meditation practice which is best described as something similar to lucid dreaming which I’m sure you’ve experienced from time to time? For me, because it’s a type of meditation I’m deeply tuned into, my experiences are extremely profound and often complex which inspires every facet of a fragrance. Ultimately, I want to translate the emotion and the feeling I’ve felt during meditation and pour it into a fragrance that takes you on the same journey or makes you feel something familiar, nostalgic, emotional. I want each scent to transport you somewhere else just like meditation does for me.
Swimming Pool is inspired by a natural swimming pool with healing abilities. From the moment you dive in and touch the water you completely forget about time and your surroundings, and swim through the darkest hours and the brightest moments of your life – the water forces you to shift your mind. You emerge, forever changed. The scent has that ability to shift your mind, wake you up, just like water does, shifting from one element to another. The scent also shifts on the skin. It warms and deepens the longer is lingers.
The brand has such a strong identity. Who is the customer?
I never set out to create a collection with a specific customer in mind and instead wanted to offer something different from what’s currently available especially in terms of the way we speak to customers. Each scent has a very engaging and emotional story and we’re inviting customers to experience the feeling of each fragrance by stepping into our BIBBI world vs categorising fragrance families or leaning on one trending ingredient. The creative imagery is strong and I’ve used the colour blue across every touch point. I definitely think that’s also attracting customers who want something new and more contemporary. We feel exciting and dynamic – something special to be part of.
Looking at marketing – How do you recruit your customers?
The brand’s strong visual identity has helped attract attention organically from the start and continues to help us stand out. From the shape of the bottle, and the intensity of our BIBBI blue, to our bold, very stylised campaign imagery, everything is purposefully intriguing and doesn’t immediately scream fragrance which I love. Before BIBBI, I was working as a Creative Director and so when doing this for myself, I wanted to create a visual identity that truly reflects my style and represents what I felt was missing. In terms of more intentional marketing, again we want to do things differently that makes sense and what I perceive as interesting so we’re working on some really cool collaborations, installations and events. I want everyone who interacts with BIBBI to experience a genuine feeling and for us to deliver something authentic.
Do you see a difference in the fragrances bought in the UK compared to other parts of the world?
We’re really starting to see that each region has its own preferences and favourite scents. It’s very interesting and lead by multiple influences. For example, here in the UK, Swimming Pool has been so popular because of the heat, the light and the energy sparked by an incredible summer – customers want something that feels alive, super fresh and wakes you up with every spritz.
What are the bestsellers in the fragrance range?
Currently Ghost of Tom, Swimming Pool and Boy of June. Vanilla Factory is starting to gain a lot of attention because it’s so different to traditional vanillas. It’s less sweet and typically gourmand, and instead a very sophisticated and warm interpretation. It’s beautiful.
You’ve recently launched candles. Tell me about them and why did you choose to launch this SKU instead of say, bodycare?
Candles have such a special place in my heart. As you know I’m Scandinavian and because it’s so dark and cold for most of the year, candles are essential. I’ve got wonderful memories of my grandmother filling the house with candlelight at Christmas. The flicker and glow makes everything feel so calm and magical.
All of the candles in the collection are based on Nordic folklore which I’ve interpreted in my own BIBBI way leaning more into the supernatural and dream-like narratives. I really wanted this project to feel special and honour my Swedish heritage and so every part of the process is handmade; from the glass jars individually handblown in Sweden, to the wax which is hand-poured. Each of the scents have been constructed using perfume oil from Grasse ensuring every candle is full of tradition, love, care and quality which we’ve literally poured into every step.
Is bodycare a direction you’d like to go in? (I’m asking this with my fingers crossed).
You never know? I love a beautifully scented body oil.
What does the shape of the business look like today? How big is your team?
The business is growing more quickly that we ever imagined and so we’re adding to the team. That said we’re still small and there’s currently five of us essentially building the roadmap and the culture while also making sure we don’t miss any opportunities. It’s such an exciting time for all of us.
Let’s talk retail. You have DTC via your website and you have your exquisite counter in Liberty, tell me why you were drawn to Liberty as your first UK retail partner.
Whenever I think of the UK’s destination for fragrance, Liberty is always first to mind. The team have so much experience and passion for building great brands and it was important our first partnership felt collaborative from the start. Launching a brand is never guaranteed and so you have to find a partner who is willing to support you on the journey and help you grow. We launched our BIBBI flagship counter within the fragrance lounge this Spring and it was such a proud moment. I smile every time I visit!
Do you have plans to expand physical retail?
Physical retail is a huge focus for us especially in the UK. To bring the brand to life and for customers to experience the full collection is so important to us. We’ve just launched within Selfridges and to mark this moment, I’ve created an exclusive fragrance titled YEAR2059 which we’ll debut with a pop-up from 28th August. Created exclusively for Selfridges, a space known for being ahead of its time, 2059 was imagined as a future where scent becomes more than perfume, it becomes transformation. I wanted to create a fragrance that doesn’t just decorate the skin but changes the mind, inspiring equality, love, and unity through a scented experience. At its core is a rare, futuristic fusion of notes – raspberry, white cotton, waterlily, ambroxan and silk musk – designed to shift perspective and awaken new ways of sensing. Looking ahead, we’ll be announcing another UK retail partnership at the beginning of 2026.
Would you like to see Bibbi own-brand boutiques in the future?
To build the BIBBI universe and invite customers into my world would be a dream come true so yes, there is a plan within the 24 months to open our first store. Watch this space.
What’s your view on UK retail right now? As you’ll be aware, the economy is challenged, are you seeing light at the end of the tunnel for fragrance brands in the UK?
Luckily, fragrance is still a growing category and there is a huge appetite for niche fragrance houses led by founders who are daring to doing something different. Even though we’re at the beginning of our journey, and growth has been rapid, we’re conscious of evolving in the right way and not expanding too quickly. Making smart decisions regarding distribution is essential to the continued success of the business and time has proven that even in recession people want to surround themselves with scent and luxury goods that make them feel fabulous.
Fragrance is notoriously difficult to sell online, for obvious reasons. Do you agree and how do you overcome this for Bibbi?
I totally agree and that’s why it’s important we have samples and Discovery sets for customers to purchase before investing in a full size. They make great gifts and travel companions too so it’s a considered first step to confidently buying fragrance online.
What are your plans for Bibbi’s future?
I deeply respect what Ben Gorman has built with Byredo, and our ambition is to grow BIBBI with the same level of creativity, cultural relevance, and impact.
