Founded in 2021, ROEMY is an emerging fragrance brand that aims to impact people, planet, and community through fragrance. Seeing through a lens of sustainability, the Melbourne-based label devotes its creativity to producing timeless scents that limit and take accountability for environmental impact.
The label’s launch collection, Edition 1, is comprised of five scents that range from woody and earthy to juicy and warm. “No. 6” is infused with grapefruit and bergamot?, featuring a blend of vetiver, cedar, and sandalwood amongst other ingredients. Meanwhile, “Solstice” boasts notes of amber, moss, musk, and is rounded off with gardenia? and jasmine. “Resort,” as the name hints, nods at the sweet warmth of summer’s evening with ingredients such as green fig, creamed coconut, amber, and bergamot. Elsewhere are scents like “Forest” and “Halycon”—all of which come in ROEMY’s sample-sized Discovery Set.
We spoke with ROEMY founder Laura to learn more about navigating the fragrance industry, the importance of bottle design, and her process of designing new collections. Read on for our conversation.
Let’s start with an introduction. How did you originally fall in love with fragrance and what was the process of bringing ROEMY from concept to realization?
I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of fragrance to remind you of someone, something, or some time in your life. You can walk into a room and smell a familiar scent and be taken right back to the place or person it reminds you of, and I think that’s very special.
The idea for ROEMY came to me when I was traveling through Japan in 2019. I was inspired by Japanese style and the way they add such a unique flair to everyday items, and it got me thinking about how I could do the same for something I use daily. I wanted to bring a product to market that cares about its consumers while simultaneously caring for our environment.
The beauty and fragrance industry lags in this area, to say the least, and it’s something I felt I wanted to improve. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I found myself with reduced work and lots of time on my hands, so I thought I would use the time to create what ended up being ROEMY.
What has been the biggest challenge navigating the industry? The biggest reward?
It’s still very early days for ROEMY, but so far, the most significant challenges, I would say, have been self-belief and finances. The pandemic has caused a shift in the supply chain with increased demand and fewer resources available, so prices have increased drastically across the board, which has been challenging.
I also didn’t realize how many parts were involved in developing, filling, packing, shipping, etcetera, fragrance, so figuring all that out has been a challenge, and I guess those challenges sometimes allow some doubts to creep in. However, the biggest reward is the positive feedback I receive. Hearing people say they love their fragrance and feel revived wearing it is truly incredible. It’s hard to describe how special it is to listen to that.
“No. 6” and “Solstice” are among the many beloved fragrances, how do you approach creating new scents as well as their name?
Edition 1 was developed to be timeless and universal while also distinctive, which is why it worked with a lot of woody notes and more classic notes. The five fragrances were named after how the scents make us feel and the memories they invoke. No.6, for example, is a modern take on a very famous fragrance, the idea of creating a current version of what we believed would be a popular and much-loved fragrance.
Solstice was inspired by winter’s solstice, the fragrance has an earthy base with white floral top notes, and we felt it reminded us of the excitement of winter’s solstice – the darkest day of the year paired with the excitement of longer days and warmer nights on the horizon.
With that being said, how much time goes into designing a collection?
The first collection, being Edition 1, took about eight months to create. There was much back and forth sampling of the fragrances to get the fragrance profiles right, and then my close circle of friends and I sampled them and gave feedback. I don’t believe the following collection will take as long from the learning and growth during that phase.
The fragrance itself is undoubtedly significant when it comes to attracting new consumers, but how important is the design of the perfume bottle these days?
We believe it’s hugely important. Our product is sustainably focused and health-conscious, but we still wanted to bring out a product that looked unique and modern. A brand can heavily influence how a customer perceives a product, so it’s about balancing between providing something that looks premium and aesthetically appealing while also ensuring we deliver on our vision by providing packaging and products that are sustainable, safe, modern, and distinctive.
With so many fragrance options, it can be quite overwhelming. What are your best tips for finding a signature scent?
If you wanted to try ROEMY for example, I’d recommend a Discovery Set so you can sample each fragrance from Edition 1. It’s a great way to get to know the scents, and with a 3mL sample of each, you’ll be able to take your time to get to know which fragrance you like.
Very similar to fashion and beauty, fragrance also plays a role in creating and shaping our views on identity and self-expression. Can you tell us where ROEMY fits in the conversation?
Absolutely. Fragrance is an accessory and can be as influential as any garment or beauty product; we believe it’s the finishing element of every great outfit; it adds personality, enables self-expression, and evokes confidence. Fragrance also has this incredible ability to draw on memories, from holidays to loved ones and special moments in times, and we love the idea that ROEMY could play a role in this, in our ability to be reminded of special times and people in our lives.
What would you say is the label’s philosophy about fragrance and beauty in general?
ROEMY’s philosophy is to create beautiful products that care for people, the planet, and the community. We’re focused on sustainability while also ensuring our products are safe to use, are inclusive and allow our customers to consume responsibly.
Elsewhere in fragrance, Loess is an emerging lifestyle and beauty brand that formulates fragrances from natural materials.
