Goldfield & Banks and Commodity fragrances couldn’t have a more different story, yet unite our hearts (and noses) through their caring attitude and olfactory appeal.
At Maxmade, we get a lot of products that hit our desk. And more often than not, we’re genuinely blown away by the creativity, ingenuity and formulations behind these creations.
However, when it comes to fragrance, let’s say the market has been a little slower to evolve, playing it safe and bowing to trends rather than beating to their own drum.
Not so for the following two perfumers. Goldfield & Banks and Commodity couldn’t be more different, yet unite through their shared artisan approach and soulful sense of olfactory adventure.
MM sat down with the founders of both brands – Dimitri Webber and Ash Huzenlaub respectively, to chat about how their magic scents come together, why their customers rule and the future of fragrance.
If you’ve ever wanted a sensory traipse through the rich Australian landscape (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t), no luxury perfume brand has come close to capturing our olfactory spirit quite like Goldfield & Banks.
“The sun gently warms the calm lagoons and bays of the southern Australian coastline. A sparkling azure, they host a dazzling array of sea life. Gripping the rock walls, fresh moss holds the secrets of this undersea world. We carefully harvest this rock moss and gently extract the essence using French methodology to create a fresh, light scent.”
So begins, for instance, the description of their Pacific Rock Moss perfume.
One of five capsule fragrances inspired by the Australian spirit, each sublime inhalation will transport you to vast blue coastlines, thick forests and the seemingly unending red dust plains of our land – as well as the unique sensory treasures that nestle in the elements within.
“People are sceptical at the prospect of Australian perfume, yet this country smells so unique – the mountain, moss and ocean,” beams effervescent founder Dimitri Webber.
No novice to the fragrance game, Belgium-born Dimitri has worked with perfume brands at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, Lalique, L’Oréal Prestige and Tom Ford before striking out on his own.
In 2006, he created a collection of exclusive perfumes and scented candles at the House of Porters, Serax Maison d’Être and the chocolatier Galler, followed by the first Mercedes Benz Smart Car fragrance ’Smart’ to critical acclaim.
Fast Forward to 2017 and Dimitri has been living in Australia for two years and channelling his incredible experiences through Goldfield & Banks. Losing himself in the burnished and exotic beauty of his newfound homeland, he knew that Australia possessed the heightened ingredients to create a luxurious fragrance.
“I fell in love with Australia’s lush, aromatic and botanical beauty. The dramatic landscapes, the turquoise fringed coastlines and sweeping plains, I really wanted to capture the fragrant essences of these stunning elements. This collection really is a tribute to the unique and extraordinary beauty of the Australian Continent.”
Each perfume is blended using the finest ingredients gathered from across the world to create a true olfactory journey for the curious explorer. Wood Infusion, for instance, is a celebration of all wood species found around the balmy heritage listed Fraser Island in the Pacific Ocean. Desert Rosewood presents a rich, leathery fragrance that evokes the thick, arid forests of the Victorian Central Highlands. Pacific Fresh Moss is fresh perfume inspired by the southern coastline of New South Wales.
Manufactured in Australia, it is a clean, earthy and sophisticated collection, crafted in consultation with a Melbourne based 5th generation French perfumer from Grasse.
Australiana is elegantly referenced in the bottle’s design, feeling at home in any global boutique or chic home. Corrugated rooftops are celebrated in the zig-zagging label, as are old vintage stamps and the vibrant colours of the fragrances themselves, representing the blues, greens and burnt oranges of the ocean, forests and dessert.
“Bringing extensive knowledge of French fragrance méthodologies, we extract the most vital essences from Australia’s unique flowers, bark, moss, leaves and seeds. Australia has a lot to offer in terms of botanicals, like tea tree oil, Myrtle. It’s not just jasmine from Grasse”, chuckles Dimitri, revealing a clue as to why the perfume has been so regarded in local and international markets.
Scent has an incredible way to trigger memories and fantasies alike, and when the magical mix of native plants and essences hits your olfactory nerve, Goldfield & Banks will take you on a carpet ride through our ancient country.
You can almost see a bohemian queen in her RM Williams, tumbling curls spilling out of an Akubra, galloping on a horse to freedom through the Outback. Or, a Chris Hemsworth type wrangling bulls in a sun-soaked flannel, our very own Australian cowboy
The fragrance range is elevated, luxurious and relaxed, just like we are – and the global perfume market is taking note. Take a journey.
Look out for: A new perfume celebrating the world’s most expensive and enchanting flower, the native Brown Boronia launching in-store 15th October.
SHOP HERE or call 1800 940 578 for national stockists customers. @goldfield_and_banks_australia
“In a world where everything can be had, the most precious Commodity is who you are.”
Timeless words from an indie brand that allows both consumer and artisan to define their own sensory experience.
The premise for each cult fragrance begins with posing a creative question to a leading perfumer – what is the one fragrance you’ve always wanted to create?
“At Commodity, we ask our artisans to think back to why they become a perfumer,” says London based co-founder and CEO Ash Huzenlaub, who along with Konstantin Glasmacher created the brand in 2014.
Their generously enabling approach exceptionally flies in the face of traditional perfume production, where a mega brand will usually dictate a perfumers’ ingredients, tones and timelines.
Orris, for instance, is a wildly expensive ingredient that takes a decade to cultivate, and a kilogram is worth more than a Mercedes-Benz. Still, when famed perfumer Stephen Nilsen had a dream to create his Commodity Orris fragrance, Commodity allowed the PhD touting artisan the budget and creative room (pending to many trials to get the perfect formula to make this happen) to achieve the perfect blend.
Entrepreneurs rather than perfumers or formularies, the business partners had a unisex vision of everyday ‘commodities’ that they and their wives could use equally, rather than strictly a stand-alone fragrance brand. While fragrance was an entry point, their path was designed as one that could evolve into multiple categories across beauty and lifestyle.
The result? Bold, experimental and artisan fragrances where consumers can pick their own heroes.
Between the Commodity Platinum, Commodity Black and Commodity White releases, there is a fragrance family to suit your mood and personality – from the brooding to the sparking, carefree to intense. The fragrances evoke experiences like a thrilling night on the town, sipping an afternoon mimosa or curling up on a leather chesterfield with a good book.
Outside of the constraints of commerce or market trends, unique fragrance offerings such as Commodity Book (which translates beautifully to candles and lotions), or the best-selling Commodity Gold provide enough DNA varieties to ensure no one will smell like you at a party.
The #StyleYourCommodity hashtag creates a user-generated content Instagram account which serves as a connective forum that always asking for feedback.
“We want to take what we think smells amazing, put it out there and let people decide for themselves if they want to use it.”
The approach is working. With a strong Sephora presence (who account for a majority of their retail sales), newcomer fragrances Commodity Velvet (in the Black collection by Jerome Epinette) and Commodity Nectar (White collection, by Mathieu Nardin) have already achieved strong sales in only a few months. Commodity Bois by Frank Voelkl (launching in Australia online this month), was a fragrance finalist in the Nylon Beauty Awards.
Last year they reformulated every fragrance to replace certain ingredients with sustainable ones without compromising them. For their Venezuelan Tonka bean, Commodity work with communities in Venezuela to make sure they are sustainable so they continue to harvest this. In Haiti, vetiver roots that are used and the brand works with communities to clear roads and build schools. They also ensure that the packaging is environmentally friendly and the fragrances are vegan and ethical.
Look out for: Commodity Bois launching online this September.
Stockists: Sephora and www.commodity.co.uk.
@commodity
CREDIT
Hair & makeup: Max May | Words: Alina B | Photographer: Kim Akrich | Model: Casey Caroline @IMG
Special Thanks to Dimitri and Ash! X
Leland Soria
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Barb Khela
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