Gabar was formed in March 2020, at a moment when much of the world had slowed to a halt. One founder was in New York, the other in Myanmar. The distance was not incidental. It shaped how the brand came together, and how it continues to operate.
Co-founders Phway Su Aye and Susan Wai Hnin had known each other for years, but it was during that period of disruption that they began building something of their own. Both came from backgrounds in finance and the arts. What they shared was an interest in creating a brand that could bring their Southeast Asian heritage into a category still largely defined by European perspectives.
The timing was followed by another shift. In 2021, Myanmar entered a period of political upheaval that affected daily life and informed how the founders thought about their work. Gabar did not reposition itself in response. Instead, those conditions became part of its foundation, shaping decisions around concept, tone, and direction.
Today, the brand operates across London, New York, and Southeast Asia. It collaborates with established perfumers, produces through external partners in the UK, and has entered major retail, including Nordstrom. At the same time, the founders remain closely involved in the creative process, working from concept through to the finished product.
Here is my conversation with Susan Wai Hnin about Gabar.
The Beginning
Gabar doesn’t feel like a casual fragrance launch. How did you meet, and what led you to build the brand together?
Phway and I met in university in New York and we’ve been friends ever since. At the time there were very few Burmese people our age there, so we naturally gravitated toward each other and formed a really strong bond. Right before the pandemic I had moved back to Asia, and during lockdown we had one of those long catch-up calls reflecting on what we wanted to do next. That conversation eventually turned into the idea for Gabar.
Background
Before Gabar, what were you each doing professionally, and how did that shape the brand?
I come from an economics background and Phway from an art history and finance background. Before starting Gabar, we both spent time working across finance and the art world at different points in our careers. Those experiences shaped the way we approached building the brand in quite complementary ways. Our time in finance gave us a strong foundation in strategy, discipline, and how to think about building something sustainably from a business perspective. At the same time, our exposure to art and art history deeply influenced how we think about aesthetics, cultural context, and how to build a cohesive creative world.
Why Scent?
Why fragrance as the medium?
We felt there was a gap in the market for a Southeast Asian niche fragrance brand when we were launching Gabar. The niche perfume industry is still largely dominated by European perspectives, and we felt there was space for a different cultural voice.
Fragrance also felt like a very powerful medium. It’s deeply tied to memory, place, and emotion, and it allowed us to translate our cultural experiences and references into something immersive and personal. As founders from Southeast Asia, we felt we had a unique perspective to share, and perfume felt like the most compelling way to express that.
On Myanmar’s Influence
How does Myanmar shape the fragrances themselves?
There is so much about Gabar that ties to our cultural heritage. The brand has always been a way to reflect on what we see in the world, but also specifically in Myanmar. It was born during the pandemic, but also during a period of political instability in our home country, which gave the brand a deeper emotional context.
Our first range, crafted with Ruth Mastenbroek, was a translation of three mindful moments tied to locations in Myanmar. Float was inspired by Inle Lake, Ground by Bagan, and Swim by Hpa-An. These places are very different, but they each represent a specific state of mind.
Our second range, created with Gus Romero, shifted into a more urban context, exploring everyday rituals in cities. The next collection returns to Myanmar, drawing from Southeast Asian mythology and Buddhist references.
Creative Direction
You describe yourselves as creative directors rather than perfumers. What does that mean in practice?
We’re deeply involved in the creative process from beginning to end. We usually start with a concept or story we want to explore, whether that’s a feeling, a place, or a cultural reference. From there we work closely with perfumers to translate those ideas into scent, guiding the direction and refining it through multiple iterations.
At the same time, we’re thinking about everything around the fragrance. The name, the visual language, the packaging, the campaign imagery, and how it all fits together as one cohesive narrative.
The Perfumers
What do you look for in a collaborator, and what have your perfumers brought to the brand?
For us, it’s about finding someone who understands the emotional and conceptual world we’re trying to create. We look for collaborators who are introspective and able to translate abstract ideas into scent.
Working with Ruth has been incredibly special because she has such a refined and elegant approach to composition. There’s a clarity and structure to her work. With Gus, there’s a different energy. He’s intuitive and more experimental, and he’s able to push ideas in unexpected directions while still staying true to the core concept.
Production
How are the perfumes produced today?
We currently work with a fragrance manufacturer in the UK who helps oversee the production process. For each collection, we collaborate with different compounders depending on the perfumer we’re working with, as many perfumers have their own preferred labs.
The compounding often happens through the perfumer’s trusted lab, while the broader manufacturing and production is coordinated through our partner in the UK. This allows us to work with different perfumers while maintaining consistency in the final product.
The Future
Gabar has reached major retail. How did that happen, and how do you maintain your identity as you grow?
Our approach to distribution has always been quite thoughtful and organic. Early on, we focused on building the brand’s identity and creative world first, and through that process we began connecting with retailers who genuinely resonated with what we were doing.
As the brand grows, protecting Gabar’s identity is something we think about constantly. We remain very hands-on with the creative direction, from the fragrances themselves to the visual language and storytelling, so that the core vision stays consistent.
Giving Back and the Future
Reinvesting in Myanmar is part of your mission. How does that take shape in practice?
One of the ways we translate that into something tangible is through our partnership with Prospect Burma, a UK- and Myanmar-based educational charity. The organization provides funding and scholarship opportunities for Myanmar youth to pursue higher education and develop the skills needed to become future community leaders.
What’s next for Gabar?
We’re currently working on a new collection that we’re planning to launch later this year. At the same time, we’re thinking more intentionally about expanding in Asia. It’s a region that feels very important to us both personally and culturally, so we’re exploring opportunities to grow Gabar’s presence there while continuing to build the brand globally.
Gabar operates within a production model that will be familiar to anyone following the industry. The difference lies in how tightly the brand holds its direction. It does not rely on novelty or excess to define itself. The references remain consistent, and so does the hand behind them. That discipline is what will determine how far it goes.
Elevated Classics Classification
Primary Category: Elevated Niche
Secondary Tags: Creative Director–Led | Collaborative Production | Multi-Regional Brand | UK Manufacturing
Production: Compounded via partner labs; outsourced manufactured in the UK
Ownership: Independent, founder-led
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