Ulla Johnson Debuts Fragrance, Candles and Incense for Giftable Luxury Launch

Ulla Johnson has turned her first beauty push into a surprisingly smart gifting play: ULLA arrives with three eaux de parfum, four candles, incense and an incense holder, giving fashion fans a lower-entry way into the brand than a dress or bag ever could. After 25 years building her ready-to-wear label, Johnson is expanding into fragrance with a line that feels designed for the gift table as much as the vanity.

The collection is built around Drift Rose, Baroque Garden and Adriatic Gold, with candles in Gold, Coral, Celadon and Cowrie. The fragrances were crafted by British perfumer Lyn Harris with Robertet, a pairing that gives the launch more credibility than a simple fashion-brand licensing exercise. Johnson has said the line draws on the natural world, artisanal gesture and memory, and that sensibility shows up in the objects as much as the scents.

The bottles are inspired by 19th-century Chinese snuff bottles, while the porcelain caps were designed by Jonathan Yamakami. The candle vessels and incense holder are handcrafted, which matters in this category: a $135 candle can feel routine if the presentation is generic, but these pieces are meant to live on a coffee table or dresser long after the wax is gone. For a host gift, Coral or Celadon is the safer, more design-forward pick. For someone who already loves Ulla Johnson’s clothes, the incense holder is the most discreetly luxurious choice in the lineup.

Johnson first teased the launch during her fashion show in New York Fashion Week, where the notes read, “Eau de parfums, candles and incense. Arriving this Spring.” The rollout will also reach Violet Grey on April 28, adding a beauty retail partner that tends to signal a more discerning audience than a standard department-store launch. That makes ULLA feel less like a side project and more like a deliberate new category for the brand.

For gift buyers, the smartest move is the candle for the style-minded friend who may never buy the clothing, or one of the fragrances for someone who collects niche perfume but wants something with a softer, more romantic point of view. Drift Rose is the most obvious crowd-pleaser, Baroque Garden has the most layered name, and Adriatic Gold carries the warmest, most polished feel. Johnson did not just launch products; she created several entry points into her world, which is exactly what the best luxury gifts do.