Four fragrances, and why we stopped there

The temptation when you start a fragrance house is to fill a shelf. More bottles look like more of a brand.

The problem is that twelve fragrances launched at once means twelve compromises. Formulas get signed off before they are finished because there is a shelf to fill.

We made four. Two unisex blends that do the heavy lifting — Noir Absolu and Ambré Lumière — and one each built specifically around leather and around white flowers. Between them they cover almost every occasion someone actually dresses for.

Each one went through more than thirty revisions. Cuir Sauvage took eighteen months and was nearly cut twice.

When there is a fifth, it will be because it earned a place, not because the shelf looked empty.