Formerly, the niche perfumes were defined by limited retail distribution, a criteria set by The Fragrance Foundation (FiFi), the non-profit, educational arm of the international fragrance industry. But it has all changed.
[...] The evolving fragrance market makes the definition moot, said Chong and he suggested this perspective: “Did it start as a perfume house? Heritage is a limiting factor as some niche brands have longer histories while others like Byredo are younger but no less distinct.” He added that another big tell is the scent narrative. Niche fragrances have more depth and authenticity because they reflect the inspirations of the perfumer, his lifestyle or travels for instance.
— Alwyn Chong of beauty distributor Luxasia on the difference between mainstream and niche fragrance. Read more at Uncommon scents: 6 unique fragrances to leave a deep impression at Channel NewsAsia.
Thank you for the link. Interesting. I learned a bit but I do not know a lot to start with
Personally, I do not think the definition they’ve come up with works either. Lots of niche fragrances are now born out of the same marketing concerns that drive designer / mainstream.
Actually, I don’t know of *any* “mainstream vs. niche” definition that works in the current market.
Exactly. Indie still means something. That’s a perfumer who (generally) started out away from the mainstream, or left those companies, and work on their own or with just a handful of employees, designing and making their own perfumes. Although now that I think about it, even “indie” is getting a little blurry. But niche vs. mainstream is currently meaningless.
I know what you mean, and agree indie is likewise blurred in all sorts of ways. I no longer find these kinds of categories all that helpful. All that really helps IMHO is to know the brands, but that’s also hopeless now because there are a gajillion brands.
And then the brand is bought out by a different company and it all changes anyway. (I’m thinking of L’AP and Serge, among others.) Add in constant and opaque reformulations and it’s sort of a study in impermanence….