My goal is to experience every fragrance made globally, starting naturally with companies owned and operated by Africans, African-Americans, Afro-Latinos, and Africans under the sun.
Fragrance is a big business racking up about $3 billion annually, and it keeps growing year after year.
You may ask yourself, where are the African-American-owned fragrance companies? That was a question that swirled around my head, and here’s what I discovered in my search.
Creator Mair Emenogu’s company started with her signature — telling the universe her dreams. Three years later, the universe answered, and in 2015 her brand focused on creating light scents that are derived from raw jasmine, amber, and peonies that are sourced from gardens and distilleries around the world.
Kimberly Walker worked in the industry for years but never saw herself represented in the industry. She dedicated herself to learning the science behind fragrance and eventually created a signature scent, Artsy, now the brand’s top seller.
He was inspired by his travels and his love of luxury and fragrance to launch his brand in 2018. His collections are designed to provoke feelings of attraction, adventure, and freedom while nodding to his time in cities like New York and Paris.
Chavalia Dunlap-Mwamba is self-taught, a necessity after experiencing a skin reaction from her favorite fragrance. Her fragrances focus on gentle and light perfumes for sensitive skin—the mix of feminine, masculine and gender-neutral options.
In 2019, perfumer Oswald Paré created Motif Olfactif after immersing himself in the world of fragrances for years. He was inspired by his memories, family, and experiences, with each bottle featuring a unique story.
Founder Darryl X. Simpson II noticed how fragrance boosted the residents’ confidence he interacted with at a fancy condo. Inspired, he began developing a business plan for his luxury brand using his mother’s nickname for his brand. His fragrance offers both feminine and masculine.