One aspect that characterizes the artisan/niche perfumery world is the plethora of creative, visionary people who we find in the community. Essencional celebrates these individuals in a new feature entitled La Gente di Nicchia, or The People of Niche Perfumery. We kick off the series with an exclusive interview in which Saskia Wilson Brown, founder of the Institute For Art and Olfaction (IAO) in Los Angeles, talks about her organization’s mission as well as the subject of power and accessibility in the perfumery universe.

In these last days of the year we look back on what we achieved, what we contributed and how we made a difference in 2023. Call it a self-review of sorts. We put the spotlight on new brands and emerging talent (noses!) as well as institutes and museums where fragrance is at the core. We brought our readers direct coverage from major industry events like Esxence and SIMPAAR. We consulted with brands to help them grow and achieve their goals. So now we ask ourselves, what can we do better in 2024?

“Fragrance sits like a jewel in its crystal bottle until it is liberated. And this is why the flacon is so important and must be designed with care.” So said perfumer and founder of his eponymous brand Ramon Monegal when I interviewed him earlier this year. Ever since, the thought of fragrance bottle design has been a topic I have wanted to explore further. What are the origins? How has it evolved in the past hundred years? What is the process and how long does it take? Over the past few months as I met individuals deeply involved in the process, I was able to make inquiries into this part of the fragrance universe that had been elusive.

While pursuing a pastime researching family history, Simon Brooke discovered a legendary fragrance brand founded in the 1800’s by one of his relatives. He talks to Essencional about restoring the brand to its former glory.