The fragrance story of Christopher Street is, in many ways, a story laced in clove. It appears across time and across use. From early mercantile exchange along the waterfront, to interiors of neighborhood clinics and dental rooms, to the shelves of modern grocers,...
Ida Meister of Fragrantica offers up a well versed quick run-through of some of the ingredient stories of Christopher Street. Happy to invite her into my macrocosm of West Village life. In discussing the fragrance's notes, Ida describes Christopher Street as follows:...
I am not a fan of the word "unisex." In the world of fragrance, "unisex" is used to describe scents deemed acceptable for either men or women. A quick notation supposedly saying it is okay for anyone to wear this perfume regardless of gender identity. Now, I know what...
Charenton Macerations was founded to challenge the tired gender clichés dominating the fragrance industry. The idea has always been simple: create scents guided by story, not by outdated norms, bonaries, or marketing myths. Let the narrative lead the formula....
One sunny Thursday in June, I invited Mad Perfumista, Katherine Chan, out for an olfactive walk down Christopher Street; a chance to discuss some of the inspiration behind the fragrance in relation to some of the street's historic sites. From Stonewall to the...
I've known Victoria Frolova of Bois de Jasmin for a few years now, first meeting through some work we did together at The Fragrance Foundation. An early supporter of her work, our paths have crossed repeatedly over the years. We also share sets of friends and...
Tell people that you have made a fragrance based on stories from Christopher Street, and the response is often immediate: what does that smell like? These reactions reflect the colorful reputation of Christopher Street itself, historically associated with merchants,...
Seattle-based Victoria Jent of EauMG is the latest to review Charenton Macerations' Christopher Street. Describing Christopher Street as "the longest wearing citrus heavy fragrance on the planet," Victoria goes on to beautifully capture the essence of the olfactive...
Pop culture insists men who wear flowers, or floral fragrances, are somehow betraying their “masculinity.” Except for the occasional boutonnière, the message is everywhere: “Real men don’t wear flowers.” Do it, and suddenly you’re sending the wrong signal (or so they...
Christopher Street is designed to engage from the first moment of contact. Its olfactive narrative begins not on skin, but in the air, with the initial diffusion of alcohol as part of the composition itself. Here, alcohol is not treated solely as a carrier, but as an...
I first met perfumer Ralf Schwieger, my Christopher Street fragrance co-conspirator, back in 2008. I had been working as an independent fragrance consultant for about a year, and was contacted by Mane USA to work on a few different fragrance projects. Before...
Fragrance is shaped by overlapping points of view. At any given moment, a scent is a mix of inputs and outputs, stimulations and reactions. Its effects are both physical and psychological. A fragrance can be worn by many, yet it can feel deeply personal depending on...