Almost two decades after its release Sécrétions Magnifiques, similarly unorthodox formulas don’t just become under-the-radar favorites. “We’ve seen the audience for a lot of experimental fragrances swell over the last couple of years,” says Steven Gontarski. 51, which manages the Scent Bar stores, selling specialty and independent fragrances in Los Angeles and New York. The appeal of non-traditional fragrances is not just their shock value. they are also the non-conformist ideals they can signify. Channeling of The DIY ethos of punk musicians he adores, Seattle-based self-taught perfumer James Elliott, 49, strives to make fragrances that are disruptive, even political. “People who are drawn to my work want to challenge their noses. They are not afraid,” he says. In 2018, his label, Filigree & Shadowwas released Sui Generis, which has notes of bubblegum, rose, leather and the drug methamphetamine and is inspired by the Danceteria nightclub of the 80s in New York and the heavy metal style of the band Plasmatics. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade In 2022, Elliot created Laughing With a Mouthful of Blood, which has notes of Coca-Cola, linen and tobacco. Proceeds from its sales benefit nonprofits that help provide abortion care, as well as safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. Elliot is currently developing a gay club inspired fragrance that smells of leather, sweat, cigarettes and used underwear.
The rise of niche fragrances reflects a broader trend in the online fashion and beauty communities, where micro-aesthetics such as cottagecore and dark academia are proliferating. A wider range of fragrances available means that users can more easily switch between different styles and moods. These nuances inform his work Italian olfactory artist Filippo Sorcinelliwho designed fragrances meant to express complex and often dark emotions, such as fear and stress. He describes his target audience as introverts “who want to open up through a scent that mirrors a memory, good or bad.” One of his most talked about fragrances is But not today; launched in 2014 as part of his first fragrance collection, UNUM, is inspired by the 2001 film Hannibal and features blood as a top note.
Compared to larger perfume companies, small houses like Elliot’s and Sorcinelli’s are freer to experiment and push boundaries. As French perfumer Briac Frocrain — describing his line of perfumes, Marlow, founded in 2016, as an exploration of the sensuality of body odors — points out that, long before the rise of beauty and luxury conglomerates, most perfumers were small-scale, independent businesses. “What was extremely common a century ago is now considered punk,” he says. These younger artisan perfumers, though their creations may be unorthodox, also have the same goal that perfumers always have – to make an impression. And which is more likely to turn heads: a pleasantly floral yet intimate scent or Toskovat’s Born Screaming, with notes of a burst balloon and a DVD case?