Tiffany Leung Nørbygaard has spent her career working with the world’s biggest creative and technical agencies to build marketing strategy for global and Scandinavian brands like Coca-Cola, LEGO, Volvo, and Johnson & Johnson. “It was an amazing experience in building for others,” she says, “which ultimately gave me the tools and confidence to build my own.” Tiffany’s own brand, AETHER., is an invitation to create time for oneself. The Danish incense and fragrance brand was born from Tiffany’s search for a space to call her own, wherever she might be. It’s about transforming the ordinary into extraordinary and inspiring ritual moments of mindfulness.
Find out how Tiffany went from global agencies to founding her own company, based in the pursuit of calming sensory experience.
Having worked for large companies, what made you want to create something on your own?
A personal shift made me question the pace and the noise of my career. I am an expert at crafting stories and experiences for others, but I yearned to create one that was authentically my own. AETHER. is that story. It’s taking all that strategic knowledge and pouring it into something that feels true, something that offers the very space I learned to seek. It was about creating a product that was an extension of my own lifestyle and travels.
What would you say to someone else looking to launch their own business? What are the things to keep in mind, and when do you know it’s the “right time?”
Start before you feel ready.
There will never be a perfect moment. But do it with intention, not because you want to chase a trend, but because the idea keeps tugging at you until you can’t ignore it. The universe has a funny way of telling you when it’s time.
For me, it wasn’t a gentle nudge; it was a complete recalibration. At 28, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and later faced a recurrence. That experience teaches you, with breathtaking clarity, that life is too short and to wait for the “right time”. My advice would be to know your ‘why’ so deeply that it becomes your anchor in any doubts. And there will be doubts! It’s a beautiful, terrifying free-fall into trusting your own intuition.
So, listen to that little voice. The universe has a funny way of nudging you, and if you don’t listen, it will eventually give you a cosmic shove. The right time is when you decide to start.
Tell us about AETHER. and the products you make.
AETHER. is where tranquillity meets artistry. It’s a collection of incense and objects designed for modern rituals.
Crafted in Japan, assembled by hand in Copenhagen, the debut collection features Incense No. 1. Its signature scent is a graceful blend of Hinoki Cypress, sandalwood, and osmanthus, designed to fill your space with a delicate aroma without being overwhelming.
To accompany it comes the “O” Incense Burner, crafted from natural solid travertine into a two-piece sphere. It’s not only a functional holder but also a sculptural object that embodies a clean, Scandinavian aesthetic. They make a perfect pairing.
You spent time in Japan, which is a source of inspiration for your products. Can you talk us through how you’re combining Japanese and Scandinavian sensibilities in AETHER.?
At its heart, AETHER. is inspired by the Japanese art of Kōdō (香道), the “Way of Fragrance.” A ritual of quietly “listening” to scent. This philosophy feels so connected to the Scandinavian soul. We understand creating atmosphere; we light candles for hygge to find that moment of coziness alone or with others.
AETHER. is for those moments when you desire that same ritual, but find that scented candles can be overwhelming. It’s the perfect companion, offering a subtle, natural whisper of scent that purifies the air rather than saturating it.
It’s the mindful practice of Kōdō translated through the clean lens of Scandinavian design for the modern lifestyle and spaces.
How do you create your scents?
The process began from a very personal place. I wanted to capture a feeling I didn’t want to leave behind from my life in Japan. The feeling I kept returning to was the memory from stays in Japanese ryokans, hinoki wood tubs, and long walks in the park. These memories became the soul of AETHER.
I wove in the feeling of my life here in Denmark, the grounding softness of sandalwood and the feeling of earth and sea reminds me of our summers at the house on Samsø. It’s the tranquillity of Japan meeting the warmth of Scandinavia, translated into scent.
Knowing when a scent is “ready” is a vulnerable process. It’s less about achieving perfection and more about an intuitive feeling, developed in close collaboration with our master artisans on Awaji Island.
Do you think incense is something people understand in the Nordics? If so, how is it typically used, and how does that differ from your experience with how it’s used in Japan?
While incense might have had a heavy ceremonial connotation in the past, that perception is slowly transitioning. The appreciation for refined, subtle scent is a truly global movement. When I travel to design-led cities such as Mexico City, Sydney, or LA, I see beautiful, high-quality incense used in the same intentional way you find it in Tokyo.
Major scent brands like Aesop and Byredo are now carrying Japanese incense as well. Scandinavia is just now beginning to embrace this and it feels like the most perfect marriage, and the right time to launch this Danish incense. You have the deep, mindful ritual of Japanese incense meeting the clean, intentional aesthetic of the Scandinavian designs. It’s a natural fit. My hope with AETHER. is to be part of that beautiful introduction, framing incense not just as a fragrance, but as a natural and aesthetic tool.
How do you want someone using your products to feel?
I want people to feel like they are the architects of their own atmosphere, empowered to curate the energy of their space for any occasion. Whether they are beginning their day with clarity, winding down in the evening, or setting the mood for a special occasion, I want them to feel centered, present, and intentionally connected to their moment. It’s about feeling like you have a simple tool to create a pocket of peace, whenever and wherever you need it.
I imagine them using it to set a warm, elegant tone when welcoming guests, or to deepen their focus during a yoga or meditation practice. Even the simple act of coming home after a long day can be transformed into a moment of release as the soft scent turns into their “own space”. A true modern ritual.
Find out more about Japanese-Danish incense and rituals brand AETHER.