Meet the Scent Shapers

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

July might be the hottest month of the year, but things are heating up here for other reasons too. Project: Chester and Me has reached its final stage — our compound producer Dario Siegel blended the final modifications on Reflection, which we’ll unveil at our first Community Meetup on July 25 in Amsterdam. This weekend we’re receiving the first design directions for the publishing house, and we’re close to signing our next perfumer (#2).

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Collaborations Boom, Grasse Week, and Byredo Exit
2. Niche Newcomers: Andy Tauer, Manos Gerakinis, Anatole Lebreton
3. Quiz: Raspberry notes are often created using which type of molecule?
4. Scent Shapers: Olivia Jezler & Antonio Gardoni

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#COLLABORATIVEALCHEMY: Budapest’s 7Scents proves exclusive partnerships are the new gold rush. Their Filippo Sorcinelli collab sold 100 bottles in two weeks; Dusita’s “Blue Danube” moved 100 units in five days. Co-branded scents aren’t just marketing — they’re creative catalysts, turning limited drops into community events.

#GRASSEGOESGLOBAL: From June 30 to July 5, the world’s perfume capital transforms into a cultural playground as Nez launches the inaugural Grasse Perfume Week. At €19 for three days, it celebrates not just Grasse’s 5,000 fragrance workers, but global scent cultures colliding in perfumery’s birthplace.

#FOUNDEREXIT: Ben Gorham’s departure from Byredo marks the end of an era — and the beginning of Puig’s ultimate test. Three years post-acquisition, the Swedish cult brand’s visionary steps away, leaving behind a €1bn valuation. Can corporate stewardship preserve what made it cult-worthy?

Niche Newcomers 🎨 🌟

Rose Absolue by Tauer Perfumes — Luxurious Rose Richness. Takes the beloved Rose Flash and dials up the luxury: gourmand fruit berries and citrus over velvety Bulgarian rose absolute, with amber, soft woods and benzoin. Perfumer: Andy Tauer.

Vanilla Absolue by Tauer Perfumes — Warm Resinous Depths. Dried fruits and rose geranium open before vanilla CO₂, tobacco and rose take centre stage; amber, labdanum and earthy patchouli create a contemplative base. Perfumer: Andy Tauer.

Pure Honeysuckle by Manos Gerakinis — Summery Nostalgia. Honeysuckle with blackcurrant and coconut, a heart of gardenia, jasmine and tuberose, grounded by vetiver and cashmere wood. Perfumer: Ioanna Tanionou.

Rubaiyat by Anatole Lebreton — Poetic Intoxication. The fourth Artefacts entry channels Omar Khayyam’s wine-soaked quatrains: Turkish rose under cardamom, an intoxicating heart of wine lees and raspberry, a base of myrrh, cashmeran and ethyl maltol. Perfumer: Anatole Lebreton.

Quiz 🎲

In perfumery, raspberry notes are often created using which type of molecule?
Ketones · Ionones · Aldehydes · Lactones

Scent Shapers 🖼️

We’re switching things up. Rather than debunking myths, we’re sharing the people who’ve helped shape our own scent perspective.

Olivia Jezler — Scent Innovation Specialist & Founder of Scentgenie AI. If you’re curious where scent meets technology, Olivia is the voice to follow — pioneering conversations around scent innovation, AI and the future of smell long before it was trending. Known for articles in BBC and Forbes. Find her at @futureofsmell / futureofsmell.com. Fun fact: I first met Olivia in 2019 at Esxence, where I pitched the idea for Scently Speaking. Her advice? “Go all in.” Six years later… here we are.

Antonio Gardoni — Founder of Bogue Profumo, independent perfumer, architect and unconventional thinker. One of the most original and uncompromising figures in contemporary perfumery, combining architectural thinking with an obsessive interest in scent construction, and challenging clichés of “naturalness” and indie-authenticity. Known for cult scents like Maai, Mem and Gardelia. Find him at @bogue_profumo / bogueprofumo.com.