, the first and so far only niche fragrance retailer in New York City's Harlem. "What's been missing is the ability [for a diverse range of consumers] to really relate to a brand or creator," says Gonzalez.Meaningful change will require support from all corners of the industry, including fragrance buyers, distributors, and manufacturers. The first step is acknowledging the current disparity. "We have not done enough to promote diversity and inclusion," says Linda G.
Years later, she's risen through the ranks and had extensive training to become one of the few perfumers of color at a major fragrance house. But ultimately, "perfumery is an art that's only enriched by the culture and the ideas of the perfumer," says Gonzalez. "If you're only telling one story again and again, you're missing out on a consumer who could see themselves in a particular fragrance."Njie whipped up candles as a kid in Sweden.
But "it was so far-fetched for me to travel to France to learn to make perfume," she says. So she taught herself basic chemistry and fragrance composition through YouTube, books, and "a lot of trial and error mixing raw materials at home," she says. “I feel like not being constrained by all the rules helps you be a better artist. I'm happy I learned backwards.