Fragrance Du Bois has announced a distinctive new collaboration with Dave Steele, the award-winning poet, author and disability advocate widely recognised as The Blind Poet. Living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Dave lost his sight but developed a powerful creative voice, crafting poetry drawn from memory, instinct and emotional experience.
“The fragrance industry is built on visuals. Campaigns, bottles, faces, lighting, seduction through sight. Which is why this collaboration with ,Fragrance Du Bois feels so powerful.” said Dave Steele.
Approaching fragrance without visual reference, Dave composed a series of original poems inspired by Cavort, Secret Tryst and Lovers. His work translates desire, connection and intimacy into language shaped by feeling rather than imagery. “For their For Lovers collection, they chose to work with someone who doesn’t experience fragrance visually at all. I’m registered blind. I write from instinct, memory, emotion and sensation. This collaboration isn’t about inclusion as a tick box. It’s about trusting a different perspective to tell a deeper story. And that’s where the magic lives. Grateful to work with a brand willing to do something genuinely different.”
Drawing on his lived experience within the luxury space, Dave also reflected on the accessibility challenges that still exist. “A lot of people with disabilities feel anxious about going into luxury spaces like high-end fragrance departments because they fear being judged or not belonging. That’s why this campaign matters. Having Fragrance Du Bois promote disability in a positive, visible way sends a powerful message that these spaces are for everyone, and that’s something worth shouting from the rooftops.” added Dave.
While fragrance is often marketed visually, its true impact is emotional and deeply personal, experienced through instinct and memory rather than appearance.
“Working with Dave on our For Lovers campaign was about trusting a different perspective to tell a deeper story. One that isn’t driven by what you see, but by what you feel. We’re grateful for the honesty, sensitivity, and insight he brought to this collaboration, and proud to share work that challenges convention in such a meaningful way.” said Jonnie Swarbrick, Founder and Creative Director.
The For Lovers collection explores the many expressions of love, from anticipation and tension to closeness and emotional depth. Through this collaboration, Fragrance Du Bois invites audiences to connect with scent through feeling rather than sight, where the most powerful stories are formed.
