Who Made the Scent for Nine Orchard?
The scent inside Nine Orchard — the bath amenities in every room, the atmosphere that hits you at check-in — was created by Takamichi Saeki, the Japanese hairstylist and founder of Takamichi Hair and Takamichi Beauty Room, both based a few blocks away in Gramercy Park and the Bowery.
Nine Orchard occupies the landmarked Jarmulowsky Bank building on the Lower East Side. When developer Andy Rifkin — a longtime friend and client of Takamichi's — was assembling the hotel's roster of collaborators, he went with people who were already true local experts rather than outsourcing to a hospitality-amenities brand. Chef Ignacio Mattos runs the food program. Dimes curates the minibars. Sweet Pickle Books curates the shelves. Takamichi built the scent.
The result is Takamichi KYU.9 — refillable, cobalt-blue bottles exclusive to the hotel, holding the same clean, European-made formulas from Takamichi's own ICHI.1 collection, infused with his signature green scent. That fragrance wasn't outsourced either: it was developed with Takasago, Japan's oldest fragrance house, built around bergamot, neroli, and cedar — a composition meant to read as understated rather than loud, the kind of scent a hotel guest notices without being able to say exactly why.
It's the same principle behind everything at Takamichi Beauty Room: real formulas, real collaborators, nothing licensed out to save time. Andy Rifkin picked people who were consistent with Nine Orchard's ethos rather than ones who could move fast and cheap. Takamichi was one of them.
If you've stayed at Nine Orchard and wanted to bring that atmosphere home, the scent exists outside the hotel too — as a candle, a room essence, and the amenities line itself. The hotel's cobalt-blue KYU.9 bottles are exclusive to Nine Orchard, but the formulas inside them are the TAKAMICHI ICHI.1 collection — the same shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, and body lotion, just in Takamichi Beauty Room's own packaging instead of the hotel's.
TAKAMICHI Liquid Soap ICHI.1 — the hand and body soap from the hotel amenity line, in a moisturizing glycerin base. Shop the Liquid Soap.
TAKAMICHI Body Lotion ICHI.1 — aloe vera, argan oil, and shea butter, the same lotion found bedside at Nine Orchard. Shop the Body Lotion.
TAKAMICHI Balancing Shampoo ICHI.1 — camellia oil, essential fatty acids, and plant squalene, the same shampoo guests use at Nine Orchard. Shop the Shampoo.
TAKAMICHI Conditioner ICHI.1 — made to pair with the Balancing Shampoo, part of the same hotel amenity line. Shop the Conditioner.
Nine Orchard Candle — Takamichi's first scented candle, developed directly from the hotel amenity line. Clean and quietly evolving; several people who've bought it mention buying a second for another room. Shop the Nine Orchard Candle.
What's next: Takamichi x Stylus
Nine Orchard isn't the only Lower East Side room getting a Takamichi scent. This fall, Takamichi is developing a candle for Stylus, the private members' club and "acoustic salon" opening nearby — five listening rooms, a recording studio, and a culinary program from Michelin-starred chef Anita Lo, with audio built by Devon Turnbull and architecture by O'Neill Rose Architects. Stylus describes itself as a sanctuary for the ephemeral arts, which tracks: sound, taste, and now scent, all treated with the same seriousness.
Details on the candle itself are still coming. We'll have more once it's ready.
Questions we get asked
Who created the scent for Nine Orchard hotel?
Takamichi Saeki, the New York-based Japanese hairstylist behind Takamichi Hair and Takamichi Beauty Room, developed the bath amenities and signature scent for Nine Orchard hotel on the Lower East Side.
What fragrance house did Takamichi work with for Nine Orchard?
Takasago International Corporation, Japan's oldest fragrance house.
What are the notes in the Nine Orchard scent?
Bergamot, neroli, and cedar, developed as a green, understated composition rather than a strong or overtly perfumed one.
Can I buy the Nine Orchard scent outside the hotel?
Yes — Takamichi Beauty Room carries the Nine Orchard Candle, the Nine Orchard Room Essence, and the TAKAMICHI ICHI.1 amenities line itself: the same shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, and body lotion used in the hotel, just in Takamichi Beauty Room's own bottles instead of the hotel's exclusive packaging.
Where is Nine Orchard hotel located?
Nine Orchard occupies the landmarked Jarmulowsky Bank building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Is Takamichi working on any other hotel or venue collaborations?
Yes — this fall, Takamichi is launching a candle for Stylus, a new private members' audio club opening on the Lower East Side.