PRESS

SCENT IS MORE THAN SMELL. ASK THE FOUNDERS OF THE 5TH, A SYNESTHESIA-MOLDED FRAGRANCE LINE. CREATED BY SIBLING DUO GEORGE AND HANNAH LAWRENCE, WHOSE BACKGROUNDS ARE IN ADVERTISING AND FINANCE RESPECTIVELY, THE BRAND EMPHASIZES A NEW EXPERIENCE OF FRAGRANCE THROUGH THE USE OF 'SAFE SYNTHETICS'. 

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THE NUMBER 5 IS OMNIPRESENT IN THEIR LIVES: FROM LUCKY NUMBERS TO FORMER APARTMENT ADDRESSES, THE NUMBER OF SIBLINGS IN THEIR FAMILY, EVEN THE COMPANY'S TRADEMARK REGISTRATION PUBLICATION DATE. GEORGE LAWRENCE HAS GRAPHEME COLOR SYNESTHESIA, WHICH IS DEFINED BY SEEING LETTERS, NUMBERS, AND WORDS AS COLORS. ONE MORNING IN 2019 ON THE LONDON UNDERGROUND, HE CAUGHT A WHIFF OF A STRANGER'S PERFUME AND WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE MEMORY OF SITTING IN A BROOKLYN HOTEL WITH HIS SISTER. THIS MOMENT, PAIRED WITH HIS LIFELONG SYNESTHESIA, INSPIRED HIM TO LEAVE BEHIND HIS JOB AT A LONDON ADVERTISING AGENCY IN ORDER TO FOUND THE FRAGRANCE BRAND.

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HE ENVISIONED THE ORIGINAL SPELLING OF THE BRAND NAME, THE FIFTH, AS A BROWN COLOR, SO THE DUO DECIDED ON THE 5TH AS THE FINAL NAME, PERCEIVED BY HIM AS A MORE DESIRABLE GREEN-BLUE SHADE. AN OUTSIDER PERSPECTIVE PERMEATES THE 5TH, WHETHER IT IS USING SYNESTHESIA TO CRAFT FRAGRANCES, OR THE FACT THAT BOTH SIBLINGS EXPERIENCED NYC AS EXPATS. "THE WEIRD, THE WONDERFUL AND THE WACKY, SOMETIMES THAT MAKES A GREAT SCENT. WITH THE OUTSIDER PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE DRAWING ON THINGS THAT I THINK NATURALLY THAT INSIDER BRAINS HAVE BEEN TRAINED NOT TO GO ON," HANNAH LAWRENCE TELLS BeautyMatter.