OUR PERFUME STORY
From as early as I can remember, I have had a passion for scent and the world of perfume. What started as a modest interest in childhood evolved into a more refined appreciation in my 20s and 30s as I expanded my collection of bespoke, rare, luxury, and niche perfumes, encompassing both lesser-known indie and niche perfume brands and high-end perfume houses.
In the meantime, I continued to develop my corporate marketing career, which, without a doubt, provided me with valuable knowledge, experience, and confidence. Still, I was looking for something that I could grow on my own, something more personal, where I might have to face my fears but also be able to express myself in the world. My husband (West) and I have always been captivated by music and the visual and gastronomic arts and constantly drawn toward travel and unique cultural experiences. How could we join these pursuits together in an interesting and genuine fashion?
Perfume.
It was perfect. Our sense of smell is directly connected to our memory and our emotions, making perfumery a very intimate and powerful form of self-expression for both the perfumer and the wearer. After beginning by experimenting with perfume-making on my own, I longed to explore the world outside the bounds of commercial mainstream perfume and move into the world of handcrafted artisan natural perfumery. Encouraged by West to channel my desire to create a unique and expansive natural perfume line as well as nurture my delight in constructing custom bespoke perfumes, I set out to expand my knowledge and skillset by studying perfumery with world-renowned natural perfumers such as Anya McCoy of the Natural Perfumery Institute, Mandy Aftel, owner of Aftelier Perfumes and Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co.
Embracing all that I have studied, thrilled by West’s willingness to join me on this journey, and inspired by the idea of building an uncompromising indie artisan natural perfumery that could connect life’s many passions and share them with others, Wit & West was founded in 2021.
Today, West and I continue to build upon the Wit & West olfactive journey with a focus on 100% all-natural ingredients for our perfumer’s palette and an emphasis on developing unique and truly niche fragrance creations that aren't available everywhere and that don’t smell like everything else. As avid believers that an artist can never stop learning and growing, I approach perfumery with a mindset that is open to new techniques, styles, and ideas through ongoing mentorship and training with other natural perfumers as well as continuing education at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP). In addition to a focus on perfumery as an art form, West and I are committed to ensuring our small-batch handcrafted process, natural perfume ingredients, packaging, and shipping processes have a focus on sustainability, minimalism, and recyclable materials (learn more about our ingredients, process, and focus on sustainability by checking out Our Philosophy and FAQs).
- Wit
