Perfume's biggest night
What it’s really like inside the Fragrance Foundation Awards
I knew the smells would be good. I had no idea what any other part of the Fragrance Foundation Awards would be like, but I knew it would smell unreal in Lincoln Center that night. Naturally, the first thing I thought about after accepting the invite and deciding to fly back to New York just three weeks after returning from a trip there, fresh off the heels of an LA trip, was which perfume to wear. That was the easiest decision of all, it took me 10 seconds to know it would be Frédéric Malle’s Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion. It’s what I wear when I want to feel fancy.
I also knew it would smell good because the air itself would be scented. I remembered reading that a perfumer had fragranced the space the year prior, and this year, Daniela Andrier, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Perfumery, created a special scent for the evening called Lincoln in June. I arrived as close to 5 p.m. as possible, right when the doors opened, and immediately noticed the floral fragrance being pumped into the air. Then came the people: a stylish crowd with excellent lapel pins, fancy dresses, and beautifully beat faces. It’s always thrilling to be packed into a room full of fragrance nerds, make that some of the most well-known fragrance nerds, and it’s even more exciting.
I wasn’t quite sure how I got invited, but I was very happy to be there. Even though I knew I’d write about it, I tried to take as few photos as possible. I was tempted to ask everyone I walked by what fragrance they were wearing, thinking about how great a post that would be, but I held back. Don’t spend the whole night documenting this, I told myself. Just enjoy it.
While I immediately knew which perfume I’d wear to the Oscars of the fragrance industry, choosing what dress to wear to this black tie event was another matter. I searched online and in the few remaining retail shops in San Francisco. I even considered finding something in the days leading up to the event once I arrived in New York. And then I realized I already had the perfect dress in my closet, a witchy lace and satin Batsheva dress that I always feel comfortable in. Do I wish I’d worn a colored slip instead of a black one, which made it all look like a big sack on me? Yes. But was I comfortable, and did I feel like myself that night? Also yes. And honestly, who was looking at me with beautiful people like Carlos Huber and his husband walking around? Please check out their amazing lapel pins—as if their faces weren’t already beautiful enough to look at.
The Fragrance Foundation Awards are basically the Oscars of the perfume world. You’ve got big brands like Chanel, Dior, and Tom Ford lining up for awards like Fragrance of the Year, Best Packaging, and even Candle of the Year. Nominations are limited to brands that are members of The Fragrance Foundation and have fragrances available in the U.S. during the eligibility period, which is typically the past calendar year.
So, while the Fragrance Foundation Awards remain a highly specific snapshot of the industry, with big houses, big retailers, and big budgets, they’re also a big night for fragrance. The addition of the indie category is a welcome nod to the growing influence of niche and indie perfumers.
This was a full-on, legit awards show—and for some reason, I don’t think I was expecting that? I was genuinely delighted by the beautiful visuals accompanying each award announcement, the thunderous applause (you could easily tell which fragrance houses brought the most people), and the acceptance speeches. I’m a sucker for an awards show to begin with, make it about one of my favorite topics, and I’m all in.
I was seated with the media, which was a mix of podcasters, journalists, and influencers. I was thrilled to have my friend and perfume podcast queen, Emma Vernon, to my right, with Tynan Buck and Sable Yong of one of my other favorite podcasts, Smell Ya Later, just a few seats over. To my left was the very kind Glenn Davis, aka @mrcologne76, who smelled incredible. He couldn’t share the name of what he was wearing since it’s still in development. The moment I saw him, I thought we’d met before, but I quickly realized I just recognized him from watching so many of his videos. In front of me were the lovely Funmi Monet and Emelia O’Toole, aka @professor.perfume. It was immediately clear why we were seated in the first balcony, dead center stage—we had a perfect view for capturing video and photos of the show.
You can check out the full list of award winners right here. Below are a few highlights.
The beloved California brand Liis was nominated for Indie Fragrance of the Year for Choux Choux, a beautiful gourmand, done in a distinctly Liis way. Veronique Gabai took home the award for Délices des Bois, which has so many things I love, including sandalwood, patchouli, and jasmine. I’ll get my nose on it soon.
Carlos Huber and Rodrigo Flores-Roux took home Fragrance of the Year – Popular for Vacation’s After Sun.
Maison Margiela Replica won Fragrance of the Year – Universal Prestige for Afternoon Delight, which I don’t think I’ve smelled yet. The latest releases from Replica haven’t blown me away. But I will forever love By The Fireplace.
Byredo brought home Fragrance of the Year – Universal Luxury for Desert Dawn.
And Innovative Fragrance Product of the Year went to D.S. & DURGA for their Murder Mystery Set, which I own and genuinely love—there are some great scents in there you can’t buy on their own, and they all do layer well.
There was a fancy dinner in the theater after the show, which I believe you had to purchase a table for or receive a special invitation to. I was not on that list, but I was more than happy to grab some Mexican food and margaritas with Tynan and Emma afterward.
I was fully prepared for it to be an early night, the evening had already been packed. But I was with
, and lucky for me, she brought me along to a couple of after parties. I almost never stay out past 10, so the fact that I made it to 2 a.m. was honestly shocking. We met up with the lovely ladies from Liis, and, well... here are some photos.
It all felt like a fever dream. Would attend again if they invite me back.
For something completely different and for those of you yearning for more indie recs, I’ll be writing about The Art and Olfaction Awards that I attended in LA soon. And sharing all the great things I picked up at Scent Fair. It was a very different scene. But also, perfume people are perfume people, in black tie garb or sun dresses, and I’ll take any opportunity I can get to hang around them.
Love love love this!! Thank you for covering it!
❤️❤️❤️