COUNTDOWN (3/5) - The Fragrance Industry is Broken

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

In the last countdown (2/5), I shared how your personal stories revealed the true soul of scent. Reading about your memories confirmed what we already knew. Scent is fundamentally about genuine human connection.

But building this community also exposed a massive injustice. Independent perfumers create incredible art. Yet they are constantly suppressed by an industry dominated by massive corporate budgets and closed doors.

We asked ourselves what a truly worthwhile alternative should look like. The answer is not just another brand. The answer is a completely new system that brings independent perfumery directly to you.

Our vision is to build a fragrance publisher - or rather, we find ourselves stumbling our way towards making it real. It operates exactly like a book publishing house. Here is exactly what we stand for and how it works:

• Perfumers are authors. They come to us with an inspiration (… or idea, image, song, material etc.), and we publish their work.

• Total creative freedom. We give creators the absolute space to explore the materials they truly love.

• Collaborative creation. Our community actively shapes the scents alongside us during the entire process.

• Fair revenue sharing. We offer success driven participation for independent perfumers. If our releases succeed, this becomes the most financially attractive model for artists in history.

When independent perfumers earn fairly, they reinvest in better materials and further professionalise their craft. It creates a perpetual cycle of quality that benefits everyone. I know that a few industry professionals reading this might not like our new approach at all.

But after 39 years, I have found my calling. We are building this with incredible people who share our drive. Chester Gibs is our first perfumer. Dario Siegel produces the precious oils. Cansu and Ivana are our brilliant visual artists. And our dedicated WhatsApp community group is already making real decisions on e.g. packaging designs or edition titles.

Think of the great publishing houses that changed the world. Every single one of them started with a first edition.

In the final countdown (5/5), a small number of you will get an exclusive chance. You will be invited to not just consume part of this story, but to actively shape the future of fragrance by participating in the creation of future releases and receiving exclusive access before anyone else.

In tomorrow’s next countdown (4/5), I will explain exactly how you can claim your seat at the table.

Speak soon,

Sebastian