Panda

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All about this fragrance

Vibe check

An unhurried afternoon with the windows open after rain: tea on the table, damp greenery outside, conversation kept close. Panda’s leafy brightness and soft flowers suit that relaxed social rhythm, while its earthy undertone keeps the fruit from feeling merely sweet.

How to wear

Start with one or two sprays on skin in mild spring weather or cooler summer conditions. The green, floral profile suits gentle warmth; in hotter weather, keep application light so the fruit and musky base do not overwhelm the leafy impression. Let it settle before adding more.

Who it’s for

For those drawn to green florals with fruit, tea and an earthy foundation rather than sharp citrus freshness alone. Panda will appeal to wearers who enjoy a naturalistic forest impression softened by flowers and musk, with enough sweetness to temper the greenery.

Release year

2014, redesigned 2017

The nose

Christian Carbonnel composed the redesigned Panda released in 2017. A Spanish perfumer from the family-run Carbonnel fragrance company, he is known for richly textured compositions spanning woods, florals and amber. His Panda reinterprets the forest setting as a new composition rather than a minor adjustment to Paul Kiler’s original.

Collaborators

Zoologist founder Victor Wong initiated the redesign after working with Christian Carbonnel on Camel. Wong shaped the creative brief, asking Carbonnel to revisit a fragrance whose original interpretation had attracted a relatively narrow audience.

Zoologist’s story

Zoologist translates animals and their environments into distinctive olfactory portraits, allowing beauty, playfulness and unconventional textures to coexist. Founded by Victor Wong in Toronto, the house explores habitats and behavior rather than simply reproducing animal smells, using synthetic alternatives to animal-derived musks.

Panda’s concept

Panda began as one of Zoologist’s three debut fragrances, with Paul Kiler imagining a Chinese landscape of watery greenery, bamboo, flowers and drifting incense. Christian Carbonnel later created a distinct reinterpretation at Victor Wong’s invitation. The current fragrance retains the habitat-led narrative, bringing fruit, tea, flowers and earthy bamboo into focus.

Extra info

Panda was one of Zoologist’s first three fragrances, alongside Beaver and Rhinoceros. Its two editions have different perfumers and are distinct compositions. The current formula lists civet and musk notes, but both are synthetic, and the fragrance contains no animal products.