Brand Profile
This is not a story about the kind of nature that sits still.
This is a story of nature at its most profound — vivid, moving, otherworldly.
Wildflowers in impossible colors.
Sunlight so bright it feels surreal.
Nights so dark they overwhelm the senses.
It’s the kind of nature you don’t just admire — you feel it, deeply.
From that feeling, Réserve en Afrique was born.
In 1934, Etienne’s grandfather arrived in Senegal from the Levant, in search of a better life. That same year, a nearby forest became a protected reserve. His family stayed in Senegal — and for decades, worked on conservation efforts in that very forest.
Growing up, Etienne learned that scent was deeply tied to his experiences of nature. Together, with Valeria, they share the same profound appreciation for those sensory stories.
Based in Dakar, they founded Réserve en Afrique.
The house's debut collection, Afrique Extraordinaire, is an homage to the rich and diverse landscapes of the African continent, celebrating its exceptional botanicals — from Madagascan vanilla and Somali opoponax to Nigerian ginger and Moroccan rose — honoring their remarkable scents and the communities that cultivate and nurture them.
At the heart of our brand is a deep respect for nature. We donate 5% of our profits to conservation efforts across Africa focusing on supporting local nonprofits for the benefit of local communities.