Storytelling in Niche Perfumery

Brooke Belldon, Sainte Cellier Founder, on Narrative, Nostalgia and the Language of Perfume

In April, I was invited to participate in an interview for Stefany Rojo’s master’s thesis at ESCP Business School, exploring how niche perfume brands use storytelling to shape identity and cultivate connection. Stefany is a thoughtful, multidisciplinary marketer with a strong instinct for olfactive narrative, and it was a pleasure to reflect with her on the role story plays within both perfumes stocked at Sainte Cellier and the wider fragrance world.

Our conversation touched on themes close to my heart: perfume as memory, as inward reflection, as a space for tenderness and curiosity. We spoke about the tension between saturation and slowness, the challenge of authenticity in a hyper-commercialised space, and the power of scent to accompany us in becoming who we are.

I hope you enjoy reading the interview.

In your experience, how important is storytelling in defining a fragrance house’s identity?

I think it’s become increasingly important for a few reasons. Customers are buying more perfume online and in doing so are taking more time to get to know brands they’re interested in. Storytelling here offers brands a chance to not only connect more deeply with people interested in their products, but also deepen that connection with narratives that resonate while also fixing a North Star for every customer’s journey with the brand. That North Star also serves a dual purpose. It allows the customer to understand what the brand is here to do, which is really important in the very over-saturated market perfume has become, and it also keeps the brand on track to its original ethos, which can sometimes get lost in the struggle to stay afloat.

In your opinion, how do brands find inspirations for the stories behind the perfumes—personal experiences, cultural references, artistic influences? You can tell some examples.

In many ways, I feel the best inspirations come from a mixture of all three. One of the brands I stock on Sainte Cellier, Rubini Profumi, does a fantastic job of weaving storytelling into their perfumes. The brand’s founder and creative director, Andrea Rubini, has worked with one perfumer from the brand’s start in 2015, Cristiano Canali. Canali creates unique accords for each of the perfumes, which take inspiration from Italian racing legends, Virgil’s Bucolics and journeys to outer space. But each of the perfumes is also reflective of Andrea’s lived experiences. For instance, with the brand’s latest release, Hyperion, which is a story about a journey to outer space, underlying that surface narrative is a narrative about an internal journey and personal growth.

Is there a perfume you can think of where the story helped make it a success?

The first that springs to mind is Annabel’s Birthday Cake by Marissa Zappas. Not only has that perfume been a success, it’s also been a cultural phenomenon, in my opinion. It’s a story of an otherworldly birthday party that Zappas composed for her friend Annabel Gat, who’s an astrologer. The perfume’s gourmand accords of fresh out of the oven cake, lemon sugar and tuberose frosting are offset by an abstract latex balloon accord and a seriously grown-up roasted tonka bean base. It blends nostalgia and romanticism with future-facing fearlessness, instilling a sense of love for the past while celebrating the promises the future may be holding.

Do you think consumers connect better with certain types of stories (e.g., emotional, artistic, heritage-based)? Why do you think that is?

I think that point of connection will be unique to every customer; however, I do believe that, while there will always be an element of perfume that’s utilised as an outward projection, there is a very strong movement to use fragrance as an avenue to look inward. Just like we’d play certain types of music to get in our feelings, more people are turning to scent in this way. I think, at least for the time being, heritage-based narratives will maintain a place amongst fragrance fans; however, I feel there’s also somewhat of a virtue signalling element to that. I sometimes feel, in our social media era, there’s a desire to be perceived as a connoisseur or someone with good taste in fragrance, and easily recognisable heritage brands can serve as an easy hook for validation.

How effectively do you think brands translate a fragrance’s story into its visual identity—through packaging, bottle design, or campaigns?

I think this will always vary based on how much budget a brand has available to them. Having a unique bottle designed is an extremely costly endeavour. Only one of my brands on Sainte Cellier has had a bottle designed specifically for their perfumes, Neela Vermeire Créations.

Her fluted, art deco style bottle was designed by Pierre Dinand, who created some of perfumery’s most iconic bottle designs. Neela’s bottle features 24 ridges after Ashoka’s chakra, which is a fabulous representation of Neela’s brand concept, which blends her Indian heritage with her life in France.

Aside from the considered branding alignment, this is very effective for a few reasons. It creates a super pleasing tactile experience in line with the brand’s luxury positioning, but it also serves a strong visual signifier. Her bottles stand out on social media, which benefits both her brand and the content creator, demonstrating an appreciation for heritage branding that departs from the mainstream.

What role does storytelling play in shaping the in-store or online perfume shopping experience?

I feel that storytelling can have more impact online because people can sit with it longer than they can in an in-store experience where it may be being told to them by a sales associate. Perfume, in my opinion, is a slow product that rewards time spent with it. The pace of the industry has almost reached cartoonishly absurd levels. It sometimes reminds me of the I Love Lucy episode “Job Switching” episode where Lucy and Ethel are trying to get to grips with a conveyor belt of chocolates. Perfume was never meant to be produced or consumed in that way. Taking the time to allow yourself to be curious about a fragrance, understanding its story and how its composition portrays that while allowing yourself the time with that perfume to create your own stories and memories while wearing it is the truest luxury a perfume can offer.

Which digital storytelling tools (films, photography, immersive sites, social media, etc.) have you seen used most effectively in the fragrance world?

I love the perfume finder on the Frederic Malle website. It’s a quiz of sorts, but done in an illustrated style reminiscent of Rene Gruau. It’s very stylish and enormously fun.

What kind of emotional connection can storytelling nurture between a fragrance and its wearer?

I think there are a few ways storytelling can nurture a deeper emotional connection. Even something as simple as inspiring curiosity to examine a fragrance’s story or inspiration can be very powerful. I’ve learned so many things via perfume! But a fragrance can also hit some of the rawest parts of our hearts. One of my brands has a perfume coming out in a few months that was inspired by the smell of her cat who passed away last year. Many of us have lost a beloved pet and understand the acute sadness that comes along with that, but also how, after some time, we’re able to look back on that time we had with our pets and really cherish it. Capturing that mix of emotions in fragrant form is incredibly impactful, both for the perfumer and everyone who wears that fragrance.

In your experience, do consumers value the story behind the perfume as much as the perfume itself? Why or why not?

I think the very hard truth here is that the perfume is actually more important than the story from a customer perspective. Even the most fantastical story may not translate to a scent that people actually want to wear. The story is key from a creation perspective because it will inform the architecture of the perfume and the visual language used to market it, but the desire for wearability is the most important aspect for sales, which is what brands and businesses like mine need to survive.

How do industry professionals assess whether storytelling is influencing customer loyalty or purchasing behavior?

Personally, I really enjoy when my customers share their experiences with perfumes they’re buying on Sainte Cellier with me. Oftentimes they will pick certain aspects conveyed in a perfume’s story and describe how they experienced it themselves. Marlou’s Corpalium, with its equine notes, was a brilliant example of this. Any customer of mine who’d ever ridden a horse was emailing me to tell me about the memories Corpalium conjured for them. Many of them wanted to buy it precisely for that experience, which they may not have picked up on had it not been for the story attached to the fragrance.

In your opinion, what makes fragrance storytelling feel truly authentic?

Execution is what makes storytelling in fragrance feel genuine. There are times when I’m evaluating brands that want to work with me, and it feels like the story is retrofitted after everything else is done. I feel this is why visionary creative directors like ERIS’s Barbara Herman and Andrea Rubini from Rubini Profumi and perfumers like Isabelle Larignon are so important to perfumery. The inspirations and stories behind their fragrances are springboards for progressive creativity in an industry that often thrives on rehashing other people’s ideas.

How should brands strike the balance between exclusivity and accessibility in their storytelling?

Exclusivity and accessibility can be very tricky things to balance. Storytelling is useful there as an initial point of desire; however, there also has to be enough space to allow the imagination to travel. Exclusivity can serve a very important role there in demanding some effort. I sometimes think that in the oversaturation of opinions that the online fragrance space can feel like, a bit of mystery is exciting. Allure isn’t necessarily something I believe is inspired by ratings on Fragrantica.

Looking to the future, how do you see storytelling evolving in the perfume world—especially in a digital-first, global context?

I think (or maybe I should say hope!) brands will begin taking storytelling more into account to better serve the needs of the channels they communicate with their audiences on. I believe we’re at a point in perfumery where most new releases are met with “seriously?” than any actual interest. When brands take a slower approach, even if it’s just a visual tease without much context, it allows our imagination to do most of the heavy lifting. I feel that customers are actually craving deeper relationships with brands whose work they admire; however, I think this also needs to be done conscientiously, striking the right balance in frequency. There are very few brands I’m interested in hearing from everyday, and that kind of overfamiliarity can begin to feel too tryhard and tedious very quickly. Sometimes less really is more.

Stefany Rojo is a multidisciplinary marketer based in Paris, who recently completed a
Master’s in Marketing and Creativity at ESCP Business School, where she wrote her
thesis on how niche perfume brands can leverage storytelling to create a unique voice
and expand internationally. Her passion for perfumery led her to pursue formal training,including a specialized class at the prestigious Grasse Institute of Perfumery, as well as certifications from the Institute of Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. Stefany recently worked at L’Oréal Paris as a B2B Global Activations Assistant, contributing to the creation and implementation of global multibrand strategies for brands such as Kérastase, Redken, and L’Oréal Professionnel.

With a background in business and filmmaking—holding a diploma in Film Direction
from UCLA—she brings a strong visual storytelling approach to marketing. She is also
an active digital creator on Instagram and TikTok under the name @perfumeandparistef, where she shares content centered around fragrance and olfactory storytelling. Stefany is now looking to work in marketing for a perfume brand, where she can combine her creative skills, strategic mindset, and deep passion for fragrance.