MEET THE DESIGNER: STUDIO CUE

Photographer Tsugo Wada and massage therapist Keiko Matsuo aren’t the likeliest duo to launch a line of luxe home and body sprays and soaps, but they had a shared history that made the partnership an easy fit. Both from Japan, they were each—separately—in love with a soothing-smelling oil made from Hiba wood, which originates in Tsugo’s home prefecture of Aomori. When Keiko discovered the wood, which is used to build temples and is highly controlled by the Japanese government (only trees older than 300 years can be cut down, and in limited quantities), she thought it would make the just-right stress-relieving scent for her clients. When she stepped into Tsugu’s studio, she felt at home: She'd work from here, and they'd let their Hiba affections blossom into a biz. “I wanted to work surrounded by his photographs," explains Keiko, "and to create a place where people can relax and rest, even just for a moment." —liz sheldon


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