Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian on Dior Les Récoltes Majeures La Rose. (In French, but you can load an auto translation in the subtitle option under CC below.)
Ten times higher
Cash is not the only currency spent on niche fragrances, which often need time to mature. Amouage’s approach to the aging process makes liberal use of both, which chief creative officer Renaud Salmon said is a non-negotiable part of their process...
Since this step ties up working capital by requiring storage space, and results in inventory remaining unsold for months, it pushes up the cost of the perfume, as does Amouage’s propensity to offer higher concentrations of fragrance concentrate than most houses, with some going up to 30 percent or more.
“From my experience creating for other luxury brands, this number is at least ten times higher than what is typically allowed,” Salmon said.
— Read more in How Niche Perfumers Pay to Win at Business of Fashion.
Slow fragrance
Slow fragrance started setting off my beauty reporter spidey senses right as fragrance seemed to hit impossible popularity on PerfumeTok and in industry headlines. The brands that embrace the practice speak up about ethical sourcing and a return to the intentional artisanal practices that defined luxury fragrance before the explosion of celebrity beauty brands and viral must-haves on social media. While the emerging term is not yet tightly defined like its predecessor movements slow food and slow fashion, a growing cluster of brands promote a rejection of mass production in favor of thoughtful craftsmanship, even if it means restricted production volume.
— Read more in Slow Fragrance Is Reimagining the Future of Sustainable Perfume at Marie Claire.
More bandwidth for experimentation
Frank Voelkl, a principal perfumer at DSM-Firmenich and veteran nose, believes AI can be a foundational instrument. ‘When used thoughtfully, AI is an ally, not a replacement,’ he says, noting it can manage onerous tasks like juggling complex datasets, consumer preferences, raw material availability, and ingredient interactions – enabling more efficient and precise formulation. And for perfumers, more bandwidth for experimentation.
— Read more in Would you let a robot choose your next perfume? at Wallpaper.
More drama, more intensity, more longevity
When discussing why maximalist fragrances are so in vogue, Jun Lin tells me that, from his perspective, this is the natural next step in the evolution of niche perfumery. He explains that once consumers get a taste for uniqueness, they want more. “More drama, more intensity, more longevity. Beastmode fragrances are simply a reflection of that appetite,” he says. Jun tells me that the niche world is constantly pushing boundaries, and now we’re seeing the rise of louder, wilder, bolder scents as part of that trajectory.
— Read more in Summer Fragrances: Maximalist Scents Are Back at Forbes.