Love is often spoken of in absolutes and isolated gestures, yet is lived out in the fragments that lie between; fragments which, like rivers, branch out with each moment of choice. There is a playfulness to the intimacy when it is seen; the intimacy of choosing — in favour of something more fluid, more intentful, more alive — not mere labels or definitions but moments that are remembered especially when unasked.

Viktor&Rolf Fragrances sees romance as a playful dance between all senses; an extending exchange rather than a moment’s fire felt. Heart to Heart, the house’s 2026 Valentine’s Day campaign, unfolds with a kind of chemistry born from awareness. It is an inviting, passionate narrative in which magnetising visuals are layered with an intense olfactory experience. Affection reveals itself through movement and understated allure. It is less so the thrill of the chase, and more so the connection; less so the assured outcome, and more in the deliberation of participating.

To enter this dialogue, the house’s fragrance FLOWERBOMB indulges in floral notes blooming outward, unadulterated and expressive. There is an immediacy to its presence, a devotion to spill freely. It is a softness that fears no compromise in its exuberance. Its counterpart SPICEBOMB responds with a cadence that is different yet synchronically intoxicating. Its musky accords carry a contained sensibility, inviting a grounded sensuality that lingers close to the skin in a sureness. Where FLOWERBOMB dangles its affections openly, SPICEBOMB stands its ground, holding a tension and awareness where passion finds its balance. The scents become extensions of the polarities, and the house is suggesting that a moment’s whimsicality too can carry depth.

Fronted by regional ambassador Joong Archen Aydin, the campaign embodies the soul of modern romance. In his orbit, love takes a firm, yet receptive charge. Always listening, it remains vulnerable yet frivolously guarded. His confidence is carried in a subtle luminescence, potent but inviting. Joong is an unperforming participant in the privilege of honest connection — allowing a rhythm that is instinctive rather than reactionary — a rhythm that, when given the space to remain curious, is allowed to surprise us in its dialogue; from heart to heart.

Viktor&Rolf Fragrances has long embraced its creations as mediums for unsaid expression. This holiday of love, they become the invisible string that weaves between a requited love: abundantly felt but not always articulated; a tease that is not antithetical to commitment, but one of its most vital expressions.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our latest issue.