Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋 

did you know? Next week, the World Perfumery Congress 2024 takes place in Geneva, Switzerland. This event is essential for fragrance professionals, showcasing the latest in fragrance artistry, ingredients, and technology.

🗓️ Content of this Issue

1. Story: Beyond Grasse and Paris: The new Mecca of indie perfumery

2. Spotlight: Conservation, fragrance emotions and artsy caps

3. Fragrance Picks : Jasmine ≠ Jasmine

Beyond Grasse and Paris: The new Mecca of indie perfumery

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Chad Bylsma, the founder of Âge de Querelle. Chad’s path from a train technician to a perfumer is nothing short of inspiring, filled with passion, persistence, and a lot of creativity.

Chad, can you tell us how you transitioned from being a train technician to a perfumer?

Well, it’s been quite a journey! I started working on passenger trains in Seattle back in 2005. Before that, I was a car mechanic, but it wasn’t my passion. Working on trains gave me a lot of time off, which allowed me to explore my long-standing interest in fragrances. My fascination with scents began in childhood, from my grandfather’s aftershave to my mother’s perfume. However, it wasn’t until much later that I realised I could create fragrances myself.

How did your initial interest in perfumery develop into creating your brand?

It all started with a gift from my wife—a bottle of a Tauer perfume. This introduced me to the world of niche fragrances. Around 2014, I received a sample of Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d'Orange, and it blew me away. I was obsessed with the scent and realised that an individual, not just a lab, created it. This realisation pushed me to start experimenting with essential oils and later with ingredients from Perfumer's Apprentice. After much trial and error, I created scents that garnered positive feedback from friends and colleagues, which motivated me to start my own brand.

Describe your style as a perfumer.

I draw a lot of inspiration from 1970s and 1980s men's fragrances, with a bit of influence from the fresher scents of the 90s. I have an affinity for complex formulations that evoke a sense of timeless elegance. A friend of mine, Oswald at Motif Olfactif, once said my work has a "nod to the classics without being nostalgic." I think that perfectly encapsulates what I aim for in my creations. I strive to create fragrances that feel both familiar and innovative, balancing traditional influences with modern twists.

Your best-seller is called ‘Séverine’. What makes it stand out?

Séverine is a spicy amber floral that dares the wearer to explore new depths of true love. It's more than just a fragrance; it's a representation of the eternal bond and showcases the maturing of my craft through the use of exquisite, rare materials. This scent captures a complex blend of spices and florals, creating a warm and inviting aura that resonates with many. The feedback for Séverine has been overwhelmingly positive, and it's gratifying to see how it connects with people on an emotional level. This fragrance truly embodies the evolution of Âge de Querelle, highlighting both my growth as a perfumer and the depth of my creative vision.

Tell us more about the Seattle Perfumers Collective. What unites the perfumers in this group?

Seattle is an artistic city with a strong connection to nature, which provides olfactory inspiration. The Seattle Perfumers Collective is probably the highest density of perfumers outside of Paris and Grasse, currently consisting of nine indie perfumers, though we were initially eleven. Each of us has a unique approach, but we all value creativity and authenticity in our work. This collective allows us to support each other and elevate our craft.

The Seattle Fragrance Mafia (a.k.a. ‘Seattle Perfumers’)

💦 Another notable initiative is Scented in Seattle by James Elliott, the perfumer behind Filigree & Shadow.

What’s next for Âge de Querelle? Do you have any upcoming projects or goals?

My ultimate goal is to become a full-time perfumer. I currently juggle my full-time job with running Âge de Querelle, but I'm aiming to expand my brand to make it my primary focus. I’m also working on creating new fragrances and hope to collaborate with more platforms like American Perfumer. Their recognition would be a significant milestone for me.

Conservation, fragrance emotions and artsy caps

The Red List Project 🔴

❤️ We love it because it's an underrepresented field in conservation, allowing us to give back to the flora that we, as fragrance connoisseurs, cherish and rely on.
❓️ The Red List Project is an incredible initiative dedicated to preserving the scents of endangered plants.
➡️ This nonprofit collective raises funds through collaborations with consumer products industry partners, focusing on threatened plant species from the IUCN Red List and global Biodiversity Hotspots.
🔗 Learn more about the Hotspots here

Capture Real-Time Emotions Induced by a Fragrance 😵 

❤️ We love it because emotions and fragrances are intertwined, and discovering a way to use fragrances to treat illnesses would be a monumental milestone.
❓️ This session at the World Perfumery Congress 2024 explores how fragrances convey and measure emotions in real-time.
➡️ A consortium of CNRS, Skillcell, and MANE introduces an innovative, non-invasive method using biological markers to capture emotional responses to scents, revolutionising fragrance formulation.
🔗 Learn more about the session here 

With .Oddity, fragrances ARE (a form of) art 😍 

❤️ We love it because each handmade, unique bottle cap embodies the fragrance inside, making them truly collectible items.

🔗 Learn more about .Oddity’s artworks here 

Jasmine ≠ Jasmine 🤌 

‘Taruni’ or Jasminum flexile, a relatively rare type of jasmine native to southern India, offers a unique aromatic profile that sets it apart from the more commonly known Jasmine grandiflorum and Jasmine sambac.

The rarity of Jasminum flexile is attributed to its limited cultivation and the rigorous process required to produce its absolute. The flowers are hand-picked at night when their fragrance is most intense, a process common in jasmine cultivation but particularly critical for maintaining the delicate balance of flexile's unique aromatic compounds​​. This labor-intensive harvesting and extraction process further enhances its exclusivity in the perfumery world.

🌼 Jasminum grandiflorum: Known as "Royal Jasmine," it features a sweet, rich, and somewhat fruity floral aroma. It exudes a luxurious, deep scent with hints of honey and fruit, often described as narcotic and heady.

🌺 Jasminum sambac: Often referred to as "Arabian Jasmine," it has an intensely sweet, exotic, and slightly green scent. This variety is more indolic, providing a sensual and warm aroma with a fresh and green undertone.

🌿 Jasminum flexile: This rare jasmine is native to southern India and is known for its complex and earthy aroma. It stands out with a more balanced and harmonious floral character, less indolic and more nuanced. Key aromatic compounds like methyl linolate and benzyl salicylate lend it a unique blend of floral and earthy notes.

A big shout-out for this knowledge to our 🇮🇩 friend and perfumer Riyal Noor.