Ghanaian fragrance brand, Maison Yusif, has made a landmark appearance at Paris Perfume Week 2026, one of the most prestigious events in the global fragrance industry.
The perfume house became the first niche fragrance house from Ghana to exhibit at Paris Perfume Week. Its founder, Yusif Jnr Meizongo, appeared live on France 24, the international French news network, and mentioned as part of his speech, the overlooked African origins of perfumery.
The delegation arrived in traditional Ghanaian attire, including kente, agbada, and fugu, presenting a stand that the brand said was designed to showcase African identity and heritage within an industry long dominated by European houses.
The brand’s central message throughout the week was a reframing of the history of perfumery, arguing that while France refined the modern industry, the origins of scent culture trace back to ancient African and Mesopotamian civilizations, a narrative Meizongo says has been largely erased from mainstream discourse.
“Africa is not new to perfumery, Africa is where it began,” Meizongo said in a post-event statement to TheAfricanDream.net.
Beyond the exhibition floor, Maison Yusif received an invitation to Meta platforms’ official Paris centre, where the brand showcased “Made in Ghana” products to an international audience. The event provided an additional platform to introduce African luxury craftsmanship to a global tech and business community.
The week’s most prominent moment came when France 24 invited Meizongo on its live evening broadcast. He is believed to be the first perfumer from Ghana to appear on the network.
During the interview, Meizongo spoke about scent as a medium of storytelling, the relationship between African nature and cultural memory, and what he described as the misattribution of perfumery’s origins to Europe.
“Perfumery did not begin in France. It was refined there. Its roots trace deeply into African soil,” mentioned Meizongo on France 24.
Written by Oral Ofori
