by
Purtika Dua
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Jul 21, 2025
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Culture
Image: Fueguia 1833, Argentine perfumery with a deep focus on biodiversity, offering small-batch, made-to-order perfumes that reflect location and atmosphere
It’s early evening in Paris. Behind an unmarked door on the Champs-Élysées, a private client steps into a softly lit fragrance atelier. Glass flacons shimmer on darkwood shelves, each holding not just a scent but a story waiting to be told. They aren’t here for a signature perfume. That idea, once considered the pinnacle of sophistication, feels almost dated. The ultra-wealthy now build scent wardrobes, curating fragrances with the same intent as they would select outfits, matching them to moods, cities, and seasons.
The Signature Scent Is Dead. Long Live Scent Styling.
There was a time when a signature scent defined elegance. Today’s luxury clientele want fluidity and range. “Scent is more playful now. It’s about having the right note for the right moment,” said Gustavo Romero, founder of the Fragrance Alliance Network, speaking to The Zoe Report in July 2025. Fragrance has shifted from being a static identity marker to a dynamic styling element that adapts with occasion, mood, and place.
But it’s not just about variety. It is also about exclusivity. Mass-market perfumes no longer attract those who value rarity. In their place are bespoke blends, niche editions, and collaborations with perfumers who now act as scent stylists. With the global luxury perfume market projected to reach $15.5 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights, bespoke perfumery is being driven by ultra-high-net-worth individuals and collectors seeking highly personalized creations.
Fragrance as Emotional Styling
Few accessories connect to memory and mood quite like perfume. “Fragrance lets you express who you’ve been, who you are, and who you want to be,” said Perfume Room podcast host Emma Vernon in a 2024 interview. It’s no longer just about smelling good. It’s about feeling right.
Imagine neroli for a power lunch in Milan, oud for a gala in Doha, or a private blend reserved for your Amalfi villa. Some collectors even choose distinct scents for their residences, selecting specific fragrances for a London flat, a New York penthouse, or a yacht in Saint-Tropez. Fragrance becomes a personal narrative, carefully crafted bottle by bottle, to mark life’s journeys.
Luxury houses have responded to this shift. At Maison Francis Kurkdjian, clients can commission perfumes tied to personal milestones. “When people talk about perfume, they talk about themselves,” Kurkdjian told The New Yorker in 2023. Some clients build scent wardrobes that reflect their year — airy florals for spring launches, cozy gourmands for autumn retreats, and smoky accords for winter galas.
Enter the Scent Stylist
Just as clients might hire a fashion stylist or an architect, the ultra-wealthy are now engaging scent stylists. British perfumer Azzi Glasser, often called a "scent architect," crafts bespoke blends that act as personal portraits. One of her most famous converts is Cindy Crawford, who once claimed to dislike perfume until Glasser created a scent so personal it became her signature.
“We talk about fabrics, food, music, and memories,” Glasser told Glossy. The process often feels like part therapy and part creation. Clients open up about desires, insecurities, and ambitions. The stylist then curates a rotation of scents, such as vetiver and incense for New York winters or bergamot and fig for Mediterranean summers.
India is seeing a similar shift. “It’s no longer about having one signature fragrance but about choosing scents that reflect mood, season, or even the energy of a particular day,” said Vidushi Vijayvergiya, founder of Lucknow-based ISAK Fragrances, in a conversation with Indulge Global. ISAK, which blends traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern perfumery, is part of a growing movement of homegrown brands catering to collectors who view fragrance as a form of personal storytelling.
Haute Parfumerie: The Ultimate Personalisation
At the pinnacle of this world is haute parfumerie. Here, bespoke commissions can start at $100,000 and soar far higher. Brands like Guerlain, Henry Jacques, and Krigler craft perfumes over months of consultations, delivering them in custom-designed trunks. As Guerlain’s Thierry Wasser explained to Vogue Business, “It’s about how you want to be remembered.”
Some stories have become legend. One Krigler client bought a rose field in Bulgaria for $500,000 just to source raw materials for a personal scent, according to Marie Claire in 2024. At Maison Francis Kurkdjian, bespoke creations start at €25,000 and often involve multiple visits. Certain niche houses even weave in personal heritage, astrological charts, and rare oils to create truly unique perfumes.
Living in Scent: Homes, Yachts, and Private Jets
The world of scent styling is no longer limited to personal fragrance. Increasingly, clients are scenting their homes, yachts, and private jets. What began as a hallmark of luxury hotels is now making its way into private living spaces. In Mumbai and Dubai, high-end developers offer custom scenting systems that diffuse a resident’s chosen fragrance discreetly throughout their home.
In a world obsessed with overt displays of luxury, fragrance offers a quieter form of expression. Where logos shout status, perfume whispers. It lingers softly in a room after you have left. As Romero put it, “Perfume lets you shift, flex, and perform. You direct your narrative, bottle by bottle.”
This new culture is not about collecting perfume bottles. It is about curating presence with intention, rarity, and emotional depth. From Paris ateliers to Dubai penthouses, and Indian perfume houses like ISAK, today’s scent collectors are composing symphonies of self, one unforgettable note at a time.
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