Niche Was Cool Before You Were Born

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Two weeks ago, the majority of you shared a clear message — you want to play an active role in shaping a commercial fragrance. Over 50% want to evaluate different scent directions, while about 20% are eager to suggest notes or contribute to the creative vision. We can’t reveal everything yet, but here’s what we can say: you’ll have a hand in all of it.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Inclusive perfumes, influencer and feminist fragrances
2. Strictly Independent: .oddity
3. Scent MythBusters: The niche fragrance hype is a phenomenon of recent years
4. Quiz: Annick Goutal’s favourite unusual note
5. Material Spotlight: Dahlia

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

#INCLUSIVEPERFUME: L’Oréal’s My Aura™ transforms fragrance application with inclusivity at its core. Recognised at CES 2025 for Accessibility & AgeTech, its touchless sensor lets individuals with upper-limb or visual disabilities enjoy their favourite perfumes effortlessly.

#INFLUENCERSCENTS: Influencers are carving a niche in fragrance, following celebrity successes like Ariana Grande’s €1bn empire. From licensing deals to niche collaborations, they aim to convert loyal followings into long-term customers — facing saturation and “cash grab” perceptions.

#FEMINISTFRAGRANCE: Viola Levy highlights the need for a feminist lens in fragrance — a shift from male-gaze marketing to scent as a tool for empowerment and self-care. Voices like Pia Long and Veronique Gabai emphasise fragrance’s personal impact over external allure.

Strictly Independent 🎨 🌟 — .oddity

A modern niche house driven by a bold design collective (Alice Mourou, Kirill Runkov, Nikita Shchukin), based in Hong Kong. Each fragrance draws from the unexpected — with handmade epoxy-resin caps, each uniquely crafted. Scents: 3.

Dead Air. A salty night breeze into a watery abyss — wet rocks, fallen leaves, ripe fruit and burnt sugar, dusty theatre drapes. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

Naked Dance. Sunlit warmth, soft musks and nostalgic comfort; temple dust, drying lily and faint woody bitterness — powdery and milky. Perfumer: Mark Buxton.

Resonant. A citrus storm of yuzu and mandarin, the cold edge of vibrating metal, hot iron and dry woods in harmony. Perfumer: David Chieze.

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“The niche fragrance hype is a phenomenon of recent years.”
Myth of the week

TL;DR

It’s tempting to think niche perfumery exploded only with social media in the 2010s. But limited-distribution, artisan-driven houses have been evolving since the 1970s — L’Artisan Parfumeur, Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens pioneered what we now call “niche.”

House of the decades

1970s: L’Artisan Parfumeur — small-batch experimentation. 1980s: Annick Goutal & Amouage — personal storytelling meets luxury heritage. 1990s: Serge Lutens & Parfums de Nicolaï — artistic vision on the rise. 2000s: Frédéric Malle & Andy Tauer — collaborative independence. 2010s: Escentric Molecules — molecule-driven minimalism.

Why “niche” stuck around

Artistic expression freed from mass-market constraints, selective distribution that cultivates exclusivity, and passionate cult followings keeping niche in demand.

Material Spotlight: Dahlia 💎

Unlike roses or jasmine, real dahlia essential oil is practically non-existent — true dahlias rarely yield a fragrant extract. Perfumers replicate the bloom through “dahlia accords,” blending floral, powdery and subtly spicy notes. Its imagined aroma sits between peony’s freshness and carnation’s gentle spice. Personality: elegant, softly spicy, romantic. Best paired with: rose, peony, white musks, soft woods and delicate ambers. Notable examples include Dahlia by Jesus del Pozo, Midnight Dahlia by Korres and 1947 Dahlia by Eric Buterbaugh Florals.