Raw, Luxe and Rich—The Chicest People I Know All Have These Perfumes in Common

If you asked me to discuss this year's best perfumes and biggest fragrance trends, I'd definitely mention luxury scents, gourmand perfumes and punchy aromas. However, a more under-the-radar trend that I've noticed over the last few months is that a lot of us want our fragrances to match our favourite fashion pieces. What do I mean by that, I hear you ask?

Much like we might slip on an oversized leather jacket to help us feel powerful and put together, we're now searching for statement leather scents to have the same effect. Similarly, when we're lounging at home in our comfy cashmere jumpers, we want those soft perfumes to wrap us up in a warming embrace.

It appears that raw-material, texture-inspired scents are gaining popularity, so I thought it was time to reach out to the experts to find out more about these fragrances. "People trust texture," says Romy Kowalewski, founder of fragrance brand 2787. "Modern perfumery works with that instinct and translates it into scent in a way that feels contemporary and direct. It is a cleaner language than symbolic notes like 'mystery' or 'romance.' Texture gives fragrance a physical anchor."

"I think it is part of the same shift we are seeing in fashion towards thoughtful investment pieces," adds Almira Armstrong, founder of niche perfume brand Atelier Lumira. "Fragrances inspired by materials tap into that world. A soft leather accord, a clean cotton or linen impression, feels like a long-term part of your personal style, in the same way a great blazer or trench becomes part of your uniform."

Below, I've asked the experts to share more on these trending scents, and I've also rounded up my top picks for some of the coolest material-inspired perfumes around this winter. I highly suggest that you keep on scrolling.

Leather Fragrances

First up, with winter in full swing, let's talk leather scents. "When we talk about leather in perfumery, we are not bottling an actual piece of leather. We are recreating an impression of it, and that impression can shift from inky and smoky to buttery and sueded, just as a patent stiletto feels different from a slouchy bag," explains Armstrong.

"At its core, leather has a duality. There is depth and darkness, often with smoky, slightly tarry or animalic facets that recall a well-worn jacket or a vintage club chair. Then there is a softness, like the inside of a suede glove, that can feel almost powdery and skin-like. Perfumers build that nuance with an accord rather than a single ingredient, using notes like woods, resins, labdanum, saffron, tobacco nuances and modern leather molecules to sketch the shape of leather without ever becoming flat or harsh."

In my opinion, these deep, warm, smoky aromas are perfect for this time of year.

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Cashmere Fragrances

If you prefer something soft and subtle, consider trying a cashmere perfume.

“Cashmeran is a beautiful, synthetic aroma note that is also known as Cashmere Wood," explains Phway Su Aye, co-founder of Gabar. "It has an incredibly distinct and complex profile that is warm, musky and slightly sweet, reminiscent of warm skin, subtle woods, or a soft scent left on a cashmere sweater."

However, while Cashmeran is commonly used in cashmere scents, it's not necessary to create this specific aroma, and a range of other notes can be used. "We love to pair cashmere woods with sandalwood and other musks to bring out the cosy qualities even more. Even amber profiles can also be used to help create a cashmere sweater effect," says Su Aye.

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Suede Fragrances

Suede jackets are certainly trending this season, but suede perfumes are also having a moment. What I love about suede scents is that they can be incredibly versatile. Some can feel warm and comforting, while others evoke a musky and seductive scent. However, there's no denying that they will all add a chic finishing touch to your look, just like your favourite suede jacket.

"When I think about a scent, I always begin with a mood. For me, suede naturally falls under the Earth element. It has that quiet, grounding presence, the soft, warm, lived-in feeling you get when you touch it, says Stephanie Hannington-Suen, founder of HOMEWORK. "Earth is steady, comforting, and supportive, so I translate those qualities through dry woods, soft spices, and rounded florals. The dry woods create stability, the soft spices add gentle warmth and movement, and the rounded florals bring a smooth, velvety softness. Together they form a warm and enveloping character that people might associate with suede."

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Cotton Fragrances

If you want to smell like fresh laundry blowing in the breeze, a cotton-inspired perfume might be for you. "When people think of cotton, they imagine [it as] clean and powdery. I see something different," says Kowalewski. "For me, cotton is clarity. It is the feeling of a fresh surface, open and uncomplicated. To create that sensation in perfumery, I look for soft musks, bright aldehydes, and clean floral tones that move with air rather than weight."

"For me, it's slipping into crisp, freshly washed bedsheets, pulling on a soft cotton t-shirt after a shower or wrapping yourself in a plush towel. Cotton-like perfumes capture this sensation of clean comfort," adds Faye Wood, co-founder of Eauso Vert. "For cotton-like scents, I'd recommend looking for notes that capture that same airy, clean freshness. Citrus (particularly bergamot and lemon) for an initial bright, crisp and fresh quality, white musks to create soft, skin-like warmth and subtle sweetness and aldehydes for a soapy, sparkling cleanliness."

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Silk Fragrances

For something a little sensual, look to a silk perfume to evoke the feeling of slipping on a silky black LBD. Whilst silk-inspired notes are somewhat harder to define, Kowalewski tells me that silk perfumes are more about how they interact with the skin.

"Silk has no scent of its own, but it has a behaviour: polished, fluid, light that moves without weight," she explains. "To translate that into perfumery, I work with exclusive patented musks that act almost like a fabric on the skin. They create a clean, bright, reflective surface and merge with the body’s natural warmth rather than sitting on top of it."

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Velvet Fragrances

Last but by no means least, let's discuss velvet. "Velvet is softness with intention. It has depth, but it never feels heavy. In perfumery, that means creating a round, smooth structure and then adding a quiet contrast that gives the composition dimension," Kowalewski tells me.

Cherry Cheng, founder of Jouissance, says that musks can certainly carry a velvety quality. "Many rosy notes [also] have a velvety effect," she explains. "The combination of rose and amber reinforces this aspect." According to Cheng, creamy, fruity notes or gourmand notes, such as vanillin or heliotropin, can also contribute to achieving this soft, velvety finish.

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