The West Coast of North America is synonymous with liberal thinking (“the Left Coast” is an alternative moniker) and a populace of free spirits. The West, maybe because it was wild longer and settled later, is the place to run barefoot and let your hair down. This also rings true for the world of perfume. Dominated largely by women, with both small enterprises and large, there has risen a true Sisterhood of West Coast perfumery, many of whom work in the renegade natural perfume field as well as more traditional, but no less exciting, mixed media. I gathered a group of these women together virtually, by means of social networking, to ask them some questions about how they started and how they relate to each other. They were all very forthcoming about their work and relationships.
Many of the perfumers we spoke to have met. We were curious as to how they cultivate their friendships and to what extent they had influenced or inspired each other:
Laurie Erickson (Sonoma Scent Studio): I read Mandy's (Aftel) book Essence and Alchemy right after it came out and was so excited to meet her years later. We're doing the current Letters To A Perfumer series on Nathan's blog, and I've really enjoyed working on it with Mandy. I had sampled her scents over the years and found many that I love, so it was truly awesome to meet her.
Roxana Villa (Roxana Illuminated Perfume): I met Sarah Horowitz-Thran (Sarah Horowitz Perfumes) in (approx) 1992 when I was still a full time illustrator. It was at a holistic childcare event at the home of Gurmukh Khalsa in West Hollywood. During the break Sarah was sitting with an assortment of essences and perfumes. That was my very first introduction to niche perfumery.
Ayala Sender (Ayala Moriel): I met Laurie Erickson in the flesh after so many years of exchanging emails, participating in joint blog projects and trading samples and ideas via snailmail. It was wonderful to visit Laurie at her own space and smell together raw materials, and discuss anything from collecting vintage bottles and tea cups to sourcing raw materials, packaging, etc. and very little details and solutions to problems that only perfumers worry about, and most interestingly – the creative process.
JoAnne Bassett (JoAnne Bassett Perfumes): I started as an aromatherapist, started Bassett Aromatherapy in 1993 and had purchased Jeanne Rose's herbal body book and her aromatherapy book, and joined NAHA. Then I took a class with Jeanne Rose in OR in April 1994. (Jeanne Rose: The Herbal Body Book -published in 1973 and a standard on the shelf of every NY editor for years; has sections on perfume and aromatherapy and it is still available.)
Nikki Sherritt (Rebel & Mercury Perfumes): I have to mention Janna Sheehan of Trance Essence who I have had the pleasure of chatting with via Facebook and email. She is another West Coast perfumer who, not only, is talented and gracious, but inspires me.
Janna Sheehan (Trance Essence): Hello! I am here, thank you for including me Nikki Sherritt! I appreciate the reflection –– you are a love, always so positive and such a force in creating these interesting platforms for the niche perfumers .
We wondered if the Perfumers bounce ideas off of each other or critique each other’s work, and also was interested in their thoughts about competitiveness and proprietary material:
Ellen Covey (Olympic Orchids): I've always worked on my perfumes by myself until the point where I think they're ready enough to send out to a group of people who provide feedback. … There's no question of trusting or not trusting because I really don't worry about people appropriating my ideas. Even if they were to do so, their interpretation would be very different from mine unless they have the complete, exact formula.
Yosh Han (YOSH): I have regular evaluators that I work with. But have shown the resulting finals before it gets manufactured with Ineke (Ruhland, Ineke Perfumes). She's got a keen eye and nose. … As far as appropriating ideas – there's more a kind of collective consciousness. I think sometimes I see similarities in the ingredients but then when you smell the perfume, it's so different – when something is hand crafted, you also smell the person's energy and vibration.
Miriam Vareldzis (40Notes Perfume): I develop my fragrances from an inspiration and blend alone. The one thing I do, which is no doubt a carryover from my days within a fragrance house is smell my creations on other skin. Male or female, friends and family…. including my husband! All skin types. It shows me which notes are pushed and gives me a different perspective other than my own skin.
Ragna Rostad-Ruffner (Divine Life Perfume): I work pretty much solo on all my perfumes. I have a group of friends that give me feedback on new blends. It is so rewarding to see them become more knowledgeable and honest about their impressions over the years! I can't say that I make changes based on their impressions but it helps me perceive my creation in other ways.
Maggie Mahoubian (Lalun Naturals): I would love to have what I'm working on critiqued by other perfumers. I'm very familiar with that process through my architectural studies. However, for one reason or another I've been working in my own little cocoon heaven. Perhaps it's time to reach out.
Our final questions to them were: I want to know some of your dreams and aspirations – where do you want to go from here? What do you see happening in the sisterhood? Any trends you'd like to see come or go or be the catalyst for?
Jane Cate (A Wing & A Prayer): Let's see, the pet answer is world peace. But seriously what I would like is that natural perfumery becomes the norm, rather than still on the fringe
.Yosh Han: I think in the future, we will see more cross disciplinary productions. More industrial designers and creatives will team up with perfumers and vice versa. We will see more aromatic advertisements and new dispersing technologies. Culinary and beverage crossings will continue to expand. I think that NICHE will gain wide appeal like partnerships with Target, H & M, Anthropologie and the like. I hope I can use my iPad/iPhone to show my perfumes in the future. I've seen some new technologies with chakra energies, sound and color vibrations already so I think scents/technology will come back around.
Mandy Aftel (Aftelier Perfumes): My long term interest is that my writings and fragrances would wake up the "average person on the street" to be more in touch with their sense of smell and the gorgeous world of natural aromatics.
Ellen Covey: On a small scale, I would like to see the end of politics and factions in perfume-making, with recognition that everything can be represented along a continuum, and that we all fall at some point between the extremes (e.g., totally "natural" to totally "synthetic"). We are all free to move among points along each relevant continuum at any time, and no one should be judged negatively because of their choice or choices.
Meredith Smith (Sweet Anthem): For me, I hope that there is better definition of what it means to be 'artisan' or 'independent'. I see so many brands these days touting the idea of handmade but still producing their merchandise in a factory, and it makes me sad.
Shelley Waddington (En Voyage Perfumes): I wholeheartedly throw my own support towards making the tiniest possible footprint on our planet, the largest contribution possible to our profession, and collaborating with people who genuinely care.
I am optimistic about the future of perfumery on the West Coast. With the upcoming Artisan Fragrance Salon in July featuring many of the perfumers in this article) and a growing perfume enthusiast community, we will be a force to be reckoned with in the broader perfumed world.
We have some wonderful draw prizes to offer, generously donated by the following:
From Dr. Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids: 15 ml bottle of Golden Cattleya
From Maggie Mahoubian of Lalun Naturals: Jar of Spring Blossom Moisturizer
From Shelley Waddington of En Voyage: Bar of luxury soap scented with Vents Ardents and Nectar de Iles.
From Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated: 1 dram of Chaparral Perfume
From Jeanne Rose: Kitchen Cosmetics Book
From Joanne Bassett: ½ oz bottle of Josephine EDP
From Miriam Vareldzis: 40 Notes Perfume Sampler
For our Draw: We’d love to know your thoughts on the sisterhood and your favorite quote, plus let us know which prize you would prefer, (if you have a preference). We will draw the winners on May 9, 2012 via random.org.
– Tama Blough, Senior Editor and Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief