Name: Douglas Bender
Company: Charenton Macerations
Finalist Perfume: Christopher Street
Category: Independent

1. Where are you, right now?
I’m at Whynot Coffee & Wine on Christopher Street, taking refuge on a rainy NYC afternoon.

2. What was the last thing you searched for, in Google?
I’m in the middle of planning a getaway to Seattle, and also happen to be an huge 'Twin Peaks'/David Lynch geek, so I’ve been searching for real and fictional maps of Twin Peaks, bookmarking locations for further investigation. Don’t be surprised if I return from my trip with a log.

3. What’s a song you are listening to, these days?
I’m currently obsessed with the latest Goldfrapp album, 'Tales of Us.' Some of my favorite tracks on the album are ‘Annabel', ‘Thea', and 'Clay.’

4. What led you to perfumery?
My journey into fragrance began as an undergraduate at Vassar College, where I studied chemistry and philosophy.  My research included uncovering the secret formulations of Ancient Minoan and Mycenaean artifacts unearthed by our Archaeology Department through gas chromatography (these artifacts just-so happened to be ancient perfume bottles).

After graduation, I continued my perfumery training, from raw material sourcing and formulation, to brand management and marketing, working and learning from masters in the field, before opening the doors to Charenton Macerations in 2007.

5. What excites you about your finalist perfume?
What I love most about Christopher Street is how every element of the fragrance, from ingredients to packaging, has a foundation in the street’s four hundred year history. The people, the architecture, the music, the food… the idea was to capture that indescribable rebellious spirit that has become synonymous with New York City’s West Village, but through an olfactive lens. Each raw material, from that first alcoholic lime pop through the last remaining whiffs of patchouli, acts as a window into the narrative story.

6. Name three scents (other than your own) that you are a big fan of.
YSL’s Opium
Guerlain’s Jicky
Frédéric Malle’s Lipstick Rose

7. If you could give a few words of advice to a young person trying to do something in the world, what would you say?
Resist the urge to take the easy way out. Never be afraid to rebel against what’s expected. Learn to trust your instincts. Most importantly, be yourself.

–
Learn more about ‘Christopher Street’ and the other perfumes that make up the Independent category finalists by clicking here.
–