The Story Behind The Voyager Collection
The Voyager Collection has been in my mind for much longer than most people realize.
In fact, the idea first came to me while I was developing last year's Cabana Collection.
Cabana explored three regions of the Atlantic coast of the United States. As I worked on that collection, I found myself wondering what would happen if I followed the Atlantic farther. Long before a single soap was designed, I knew that Voyager would be the collection that followed.
I've always loved to travel and to have a trip on the horizon. During the pandemic, that feeling only grew stronger. With a background in Art History, I've always been fascinated by other cultures, landscapes, and the stories that connect them. I love old maps, vintage travel posters, maritime history, and tales of exploration. There has always been something romantic to me about ships setting sail toward distant horizons. The Atlantic Ocean seemed like the perfect thread to tie all of those interests together.
As the collection began to take shape, I knew I wanted to include one destination from North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Interestingly, all four destinations I chose are places I have never visited. For me, that's part of the appeal. These places still exist in that space between reality and imagination. They represent possibility, adventure, and wanderlust. Rather than recreating memories from places I've already been, I was creating interpretations of places I still dream of seeing someday.
The destinations themselves came together gradually.
France was perhaps the easiest choice. I've been making Sel de Mer mini soaps for years, and customers have often asked if I would ever create a full-sized version. The challenge wasn't choosing the destination; it was finding the right visual language. Eventually, I landed on the blue and white stripes inspired by classic Breton style while broadening the inspiration to the French Atlantic coast as a whole.
The Cape of Good Hope held a special fascination for me from the beginning. There is something wonderfully romantic about that place—the edge of the Atlantic and one of the great landmarks of the Age of Exploration. It felt like a destination worthy of a voyage. My colleague Liezl, who grew up in South Africa, suggested incorporating rooibos tea, a plant native to the region. That single idea helped unlock the entire soap.
South America took a few more twists and turns. My original inspiration was palo santo, but I quickly realized that it is more closely associated with the Pacific side of the continent than the Atlantic. Since Atlantic Soap Co. has always had a beachy spirit, I eventually found myself drawn to Rio de Janeiro and its iconic beach culture. From there, the idea of golden tan lines, warm sand, coconut, and sun-soaked days fell naturally into place.
The Labrador Coast was perhaps the most unexpected destination. I was inspired by a Canadian soapmaker who uses glacial water in their products, much as I use seawater in mine. From there, I began imagining icy coastlines, drifting icebergs, and the invigorating feeling of cold northern air. The cooling menthol note became the finishing touch, bringing the concept fully to life.
Even after the destinations were chosen, there was still one piece missing.
The packaging.
While visiting London last summer, I came across a beautifully presented gift set packaged inside a small suitcase. I remember immediately thinking that it was exactly how Voyager should be presented. The collection had always been about travel and discovery, and the suitcase transformed the four soaps from a collection into a journey.
Looking back, Voyager feels like the most ambitious and story-driven collection I've created to date. More than any collection before it, it began with a story. Every design decision, ingredient, fragrance, and detail served that larger narrative.
At its heart, Voyager is about the places that capture our imagination; the destinations we haven't visited yet, the maps we still want to follow, and the adventures that remain just beyond the horizon.
Until I can visit these shores myself, this collection is my way of traveling there.
