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Recently on air, we touched on niche fragrances and their role in a more responsible future.

I said something like(paraphasing):
"Niche is about quality over quantity—crafting enduring products, embracing inclusivity, and ensuring transparency. It’s about the creative process, the people, and the meaningful stories.." 🕊

That’s mostly true, but it’s also more nuanced..

I’m not here to unpack the full ESG narrative, but perfume production comes with a hefty carbon footprint, often relying on materials sourced from 10 to 20 different countries😲

Brands often don’t handle sourcing or production directly, instead collaborating with large manufacturers who, in turn, rely on other global suppliers, making supply chain transparency more complex. Without strict regulations, brands are left to interpret ‘sustainability’ on their own terms.

Reactive Oversight🚨

So, it wasn’t surprising when a BBC documentary in May 2024 linked two fragrance houses to child labor. In 2021, another big brand was flamed for fabricating stories behind its scents.

They weren’t the first, and they won’t be the last..

Research shows affluent consumers increasingly worry about the environment, but they often assume luxury brands have ALREADY taken care of it. Luxury is inherently indulgent and buyers don’t want to cloud the experience with ethical dilemmas— reacting only ONCE their assumptions are proven false.

Yellow, and Green🔰

Flavour in the awkward relationship between luxury and sustainability. You can never have too much luxury, but you can have too much eco-consciousness. Consumers will back sustainability—as long as it doesn’t dull the luxury experience.

The food industry has taught us that presentation can change taste. Should fragrance be any different? Would green considerations detract from or add to the experience?

Virtue in Disguise🗽

In my research, green concerns rarely drive niche fragrance purchases; at most, they're an afterthought.

Sebastien Tissot, former VP at Firmenich and founder of Nissaba Parfums (wow btw)—the most sustainable fragrance brand by carbon footprint—found that it’s better to be known as a luxury house first, and then a sustainable one.

It raises an interesting question: Are ethical choices sometimes made for reasons that have little to do with ethics?

Ethics by Design 🔑

With little oversight, passive consumers, and high costs, not all brands will be equally committed. Yet, resting on assumptions is high stakes, as social media backlash and boycotts can be unforgiving when reality catches up.

The motivation to buy luxury is rooted in our psyche and hard to shift. However, the renaissance of smaller, specialized, and authentic brands has shown that by design, ethics can become default, no matter the reasons.

Crafting unique and enduring fragrances is one ethic; transparency is another. Brands that design with both in mind are built to last—authentic and trusted.