The Fragrance Files

This week we sit down with Jake and Matt, the duo behind Stéle NYC to discuss the insidious nature in which private equity and venture capital have killed the niche industry in search of profits and is actively working to take over the indie perfume space.

What can we do about it? Focus on where we spend out money and who we support. We can only protect this community if we stick up for it.

This conversation went so over, it's now a two part episode- with Part 2 Launching next Friday!

This week we slowed down with Christina Loff from The Dry Down Diaries to talk about long form content, the challenges of a world controlled by algorithms, and the diversity of the fragrance community.

This week we sat down with beauty world maker, Arabelle Sicardi, to discuss the world of ingredient sourcing including historical context, beauty marketing traps, and the issues with greenwashing in perfume.

This week's conversation delves into the gender stereotypes associated with fragrances and the impact of marketing on gender in the fragrance industry. We explore the historical context of fragrance gendering and the societal expectations placed on men and women in relation to fragrance choices as well as the way queerness and queer fragrance liberates us from the binary.

Chapters

• 00:00 Gender Stereotypes in Fragrance
• 15:36 Marketing and Gender in Fragrance
• 32:38 Gender and Fragrance
• 42:14 Queerness and Fragrance
• 50:07 Gendered Marketing
• 57:02 Storytelling in Fragrance
• 01:03:01 Freedom in Fragrance

This week we sit down with LC, a brand consultant and interdisciplinary artist to have a conversation that delves into the political identity of perfume, highlighting the intersection of gender politics, colonial history, and social stratification within the fragrance industry.

Chapters

• 00:00 Perfume as a Political Identity
• 14:46 Colonial History and Perfume
• 24:29 Policing of Women's Scent
• 33:14 Competitiveness and Exclusivity in Perfume TikTok
• 01:04:53 The Business Model and Exclusivity Clauses in Perfume Sponsorships
• 01:10:37 The Impact of Brand Rebranding and Political Implications in Perfume Marketing

This week we dive into different ways perfume and beauty brands treat and act in the fragrance community. To love perfume as an art means not being afraid to critique it as an industry. From content creation tips to shading some egregious missteps, we're here for accountability and transparency.

Bonus episode, a re-issue the 2025 interview with Kyle and Josh as Goth Fragrance Dialogues. Hear a bit about who Kyle is, how OSM developed, and hear the early foundations of our discussion in Episode 7 of The Fragrance Files

This week we sit down with Kyle Mott-Kannanberg of Blend, the umbrella brand for OSM perfume and the upcoming Fumed Expo in Chicago.

See The Fragrance Files there, March 28 - 29 in Chicago.

This week we discuss evolving with and past our fragrances. How we are emotionally tethered to fragrance, and the moment that tether breaks. Whether you've moved on for a season or a lifetime, taste and emotions change so your fragrances should too.

The Scent of Letting Go is about how to find out what works, and what doesn't. We also discuss our approach to decluttering- or selling/trading/gifting fragrances that we no longer need.

Maybe the desire for a signature scent isn't about fragrance, it's about wanting to be known and remembered.

This episode, we explore the myth of Signature Scents, where the idea comes from, why it still matters, and how committing to one fragrance can make sense in todays highly saturated perfume culture.