Nomenclature: A Tribute to Synthetic Fragrance at the Intersection of Poetry and Science

“You may not know their names. But you have certainly smelled them. And without them, your perfume could not exist.”

— Karl Bradl, co-founder of Nomenclature

Contents

Basic Information
The Founders and the Brand’s Origins
The Brand’s Commitments
By the Way…

Basic Information

Year founded: 2015
Founded in: New York, United States
Founders: Karl Bradl & Carlos Quintero
Official website: nomenclature.nyc

“Nomenclature,” the English word for a system of naming, derives from the Latin for “calling by name.” The name embodies the brand’s mission to celebrate design in perfume chemistry.

The Founders and the Brand’s Origins

Karl Bradl: A German Boy Captivated by Scent

The story of Nomenclature begins where not one but two lives intersect.

Karl Bradl grew up in a small German town. Fascinated by scent from an early age, he received a Rothschild fragrance from his mother as a Christmas present in the early 1980s, a turning point that would shape the rest of his life.

“I became obsessed with that scent and started exploring the fragrance market. The glamorous eighties were full of designers and their perfumes.”

— Karl Bradl

As a teenager, he tried a wide range of the leading fragrances of the time, including Armani, Yves Saint Laurent’s Kouros, and Dior’s Poison. By the age of 20, he was thoroughly tired of finding that everyone wore the same scents. What drew him back into the world of fragrance was his encounter with niche perfumery. Its mystique made Bradl fall in love with scent all over again.

Bradl moved to Munich at 18 and began working at a bank, but always spent his lunch breaks in the perfume shop across the street. Later, when his friend Robert Gerstner was offered a job in New York, Bradl joined him. In September 1992, the two left everything behind and moved to New York.

Aedes de Venustas: Creating a Sanctuary for Niche Perfumery

In New York, Bradl worked in a SoHo clothing shop while nurturing his desire to introduce the world to the brands that only he seemed to know. Then, one cold evening in January 1995, he and Gerstner were walking through Greenwich Village when they found a small property on Christopher Street. Investing their severance money, they opened Aedes de Venustas, Latin for “temple of beauty,” which would later become known as a sanctuary for perfume lovers.

At the time, New York had no established category of specialist niche perfumeries. One day, Bradl made the bold move of visiting the Condé Nast building without an appointment to pitch directly to a Vogue beauty editor. That editor, Amy Astley, visited the store and featured it in the October 1996 issue, rapidly spreading Aedes’s name among New York’s creative community. Fashion insiders passed samples around, models told photographers, and photographers told stylists, creating a chain of word-of-mouth recommendations.

Within a few years of opening, Aedes had become a cultural hub for journalists, artists, perfumers, and collectors. Rather than simply displaying products, Bradl believed in understanding each fragrance deeply and serving customers without pressure. “I would rather let someone take a sample home than push a fragrance on them” remained the store’s guiding philosophy.

Carlos Quintero: Meeting a “Renaissance Designer”

Nomenclature’s other central figure, Carlos Quintero, describes himself as a “Renaissance designer.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in advertising at the University of Texas at Austin, he studied fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan and later design at Central Saint Martins in London. Having worked for major global companies in fragrance, fashion, and publishing in Italy and New York, Quintero saw design not as something confined to a particular discipline, but as a thought process applicable to every aspect of life: fashion, graphics, furniture, packaging, digital media, accessories, and objects.

Bradl brought experience in fragrance retail and development; Quintero brought his work as a designer. Together, they founded Nomenclature.

The Birth of Nomenclature: A Tribute to the “Revolutionaries” of Synthetic Perfumery

The idea began with a question from Quintero.

“Scientists designed these extraordinary compounds as elegant solutions to real problems: finding a compassionate alternative to musk, an ecological alternative to sandalwood, or a cost-effective alternative to ambergris. I became fascinated by the idea of celebrating design in perfume chemistry.”

— Carlos Quintero

Starting from the question “Are synthetic fragrance materials villains or unsung heroes?”, the two reached a conviction: behind the great modern perfumes lay the revolutionary invention of particular synthetic molecules. The aldehydes in Chanel No. 5, Hedione in Dior’s Eau Sauvage, and ethyl maltol in Angel are all examples of creations that could not exist without synthetic molecules.

Yet these molecules had long gone unmentioned. As Bradl puts it, “You may not know their names. But you have certainly smelled them. And without them, your perfume could not exist.” This mission to “call these unknown revolutionaries by name” is the meaning behind Nomenclature.

In 2015, the New York niche fragrance brand Nomenclature made its debut with four perfumes. Its chosen launch venue was Pitti Fragranze, the international fragrance fair in Florence. Since then, the brand has steadily expanded its range and now offers a total of 17 eaux de parfum across two principal collections.

The Brand’s Commitments

A Philosophy That Places Aroma Molecules, Including “Captives,” Center Stage

Since its founding, Nomenclature’s Molecular Collection has placed aroma molecules, including exclusive materials known as “captives,” at the center of its fragrances. Captives are aroma molecules developed in-house by major fragrance manufacturers such as Firmenich, Givaudan, Takasago, and IFF. Rather than being sold openly to outside companies as raw materials, they are used in the producer’s own compositions, generally by that company’s perfumers: treasures protected as corporate secrets. Only a few emerge from each company every year, the fruits of time-consuming and costly research and development.

Bradl explained this approach in an interview.

“A 100% synthetic perfume can tend to be a little flat. We reverse the conventional structure: the synthetic material defines the fragrance’s leading character, and natural materials are added to round it out.”

— Karl Bradl

This reversal underpins the creation of the Molecular Collection. Whereas perfume is often discussed as a composition in which naturals take the lead and synthetics provide support, Nomenclature deliberately reverses that balance. It does not, however, aim to be entirely synthetic, but maintains an equilibrium in which synthetics lead and naturals play supporting roles.

Quintero has also spoken clearly about the safety and sustainability of synthetic fragrance materials.

“Synthetic materials are simple molecules. They can be refined into well-tested molecules that are less likely to be allergens. Natural materials are more complex, so they have more elements that can trigger allergies. A synthetic might have only five possibilities, whereas a natural might have a thousand.”

— Carlos Quintero

A Fragrance Designer Who Is “Not a Perfumer”

Bradl does not call himself a “nose,” or perfumer. His role is to develop the concept for each scent, select the notes and raw materials, and guide the perfumer throughout the development process. This distinctive position might be called that of a “fragrance designer”: the product of olfactory intelligence and conceptual thinking cultivated through years of curation at Aedes.

The actual composition, meanwhile, is entrusted to some of the industry’s legendary noses. A principal collaborator since the brand’s founding has been Frank Voelkl, who joined Firmenich, now dsm-firmenich, in 2005. He has created numerous era-defining scents, including Le Labo’s Santal 33. Voelkl describes his approach in these terms.

“If you compare perfume creation to the art of painting, using molecules is like drawing precise lines. Using natural materials is like working with broad brushstrokes.”

— Frank Voelkl

Other contributors include Patricia Choux, then with Takasago, who created two of the four debut fragrances; Bertrand Duchaufour, a cult figure in niche perfumery; and Nathalie Feisthauer, who runs the independent atelier LAB scent. Each fragrance is entrusted to one of the leading noses of its time.

The Design Philosophy of the Bottles and Packaging

Nomenclature’s bottles embody the fragrance concept itself through minimalist design. As Carlos Quintero explained, “Everything is designed, through 360 degrees: the bottle, the packaging, and even the ingredients inside are synthetic materials designed by human hands.” The visual identity and the fragrances are conceived as a system communicating one consistent message.

The perfume names use a distinctive format incorporating an underscore, as in adr_ett, efflor_esce, and shi_sõ. This visual code recalls the notation of chemical formulas and succinctly expresses the brand’s identity as a hybrid of poetry and science.

The Fragrance Lineup

Nomenclature’s current range is broadly divided into two collections.

Molecular Collection

The brand’s core collection focuses on important aroma molecules that revolutionized perfumery, particularly captives developed in-house by fragrance manufacturers. Each creation celebrates their history, chemistry, and poetry. Below are ten principal fragrances introduced over the course of the brand’s history, beginning with its founding.

The Four Debut Fragrances (2015): Four Moments That Changed Modern Perfumery

Bradl and Quintero developed their initial idea for layering products into a collection of perfumes documenting the synthetic materials that changed modern perfumery. Historical importance and their own tastes both informed the choice of protagonists. Rather than presenting a molecule on its own, they wanted to combine it with other materials and design a new fragrance.

adr_ett — A creation by Frank Voelkl centered on Helvetolide®, a musk whose lightness evokes zero gravity. Bradl chose it for a clean character and relative lack of sweetness that suited the founders’ tastes. Voelkl brought its softly enveloping quality to the foreground rather than using it to support other notes. Pink pepper draws out a pear-like fruitiness, while cool, metallic iris emphasizes a facet reminiscent of the botanical musk ambrette. Ambergris, vanilla and tonka bean add soft depth. Its German name means neat or smart, and the pared-back composition evokes weightless stillness.
efflor_esce — Frank Voelkl imagined a Sicilian orchard scented by the fruit, leaves, branches and blossoms of orange trees. Paradisone®, patented by Firmenich in 1996, lends the composition its jasmine-like brightness. Neroli, bigarade and bergamot spread the citrus radiance, while osmanthus brings softness recalling apricot and suede, and tuberose adds a rich floral finish.
orb_ital — Patricia Choux built a planetary system around Takasago’s woody-amber material Orbitone®. Among its many facets, she chose pepper as the central force of attraction. Its hot-and-cold pungency runs from the opening into the drydown, meeting the creamy sandalwood character of Takasago’s Hindinol® and supported by olibanum. Rhubarb and violet also surround the woody core.
iri_del — Starring iris aldehyde, this fragrance presents a sharp, urban iris. It has been described as “an iris that has taken off its aristocratic powdered wig and put on a slim-cut suit.” The perfumer is Patricia Choux. Iris concrete and alpha-irone reinforce the iris character, with the accord set within an angular woody-amber structure. Bergamot and ambrette bring radiance to the lean, dry composition.

Later Additions

lumen_esce — An “electric violet” starring Violettyne®, patented by Firmenich in 2000. It expresses violet’s many faces as colors of light. The perfumer is Frank Voelkl.
shi_sõ — Centered on Givaudan’s Glycolierral®, with its cool ivy-leaf scent, and composed with shiso, cardamom, spearmint, and other notes. Its title plays on the Japanese words shiso, the herb, and shisō, meaning “thought.” True to the brand’s explanation of it as “contemporary thought,” it is a modern reinterpretation of classical eau de cologne. The perfumer is Bertrand Duchaufour.
holy_wood — This fragrance brings together the New Age spirit of 1970s California and the cinematic innovations of New Hollywood. Frank Voelkl reworked the rose-and-patchouli pairing associated with the period, using newer materials to make it brighter and lighter. At its center is Clearwood®, developed in California for Firmenich through biotechnology using sugar-cane fermentation. It provides a transparent woody character with less of patchouli’s earthiness. Rose Petal Nature Print®, capturing the flower’s scent, meets Bulgarian rose and jasmine sambac, with pink pepper, sandalwood and suede. Just as new filmmaking techniques changed cinematic expression, new fragrance materials renew a classical accord.
fluo_ral — A reinterpretation of Calone®, which helped bring about the aquatic perfume boom of the 1990s. Inspired by bioluminescent plankton, it challenges the conventions of marine perfumery. The perfumer is Nathalie Feisthauer.
psy_cou — A fragrance that restores the “original modernity” of Coumarin®, a starting point of modern perfumery first used in Fougère Royale in 1882. Saffron, coffee, oud, and palo santo provide depth. The perfumer is Frank Voelkl.
red_wood — An attempt to recreate a giant redwood through scent, centered on Norlimbanol®, developed by Firmenich in 1986. Perfume critic Chandler Burr called this powerful woody note “a genius molecule worth its weight in gold.” The perfumer is Frank Voelkl.

para_iso: A Molecule Illuminating Quince

The preceding fragrances trace major works since the brand’s founding rather than forming a complete list of current products. The ten fragrances listed in the Molecular Collection in November 2026 include para_iso, while the debut creation iri_del is not listed.

At the center of para_iso is Quincester®, a Firmenich captive expressing quince’s sharp tartness. Frank Voelkl describes its crisp, lively character as radiantly bright, almost fluorescent. The ISO within the name also stands for In Search Of, in a vision of a paradise where fruit and flowers flourish beyond green vines.

Iris and jasmine sambac meet Lilyflore®, a lily-of-the-valley material with a full, coconut-like facet, setting tart fruit among dew-covered flowers. White Tea Nature Print, recreating the scent of white tea, and cedarwood follow. A fruit-like molecule, rather than quince extract itself, is combined with other molecules, flowers, tea and wood.

Modern Eclectics Collection

Modern Eclectics brings contrasting styles together within a single scent. An exhibition of the same name at Chinatown Soup in New York, from May 18 to 22, 2022, placed the perfumes alongside analog collages by Rafael Santiago, an artist who collects and rearranges images from old photographs and printed matter.

Introduced in Japan as a collection aimed at Generation Z, the series proposed distinctive, wearable compositions extending the possibilities of skin scents and single-note expressions. Moroccan mint tea, a rose pressed in a suede-bound book, and a forest after rain give the fragrances tactile, specific settings. The range comprised the following seven works in November 2026.

night serum: An Evening Beauty Ritual

The smoothness of a serum and the enveloping feeling of a nighttime skincare routine inspired night serum. An opening of lemon zest, blackcurrant and saffron is likened to a toner, followed by a floral elixir of Turkish rose absolute and jasmine sambac. Black amber, incense and patchouli deepen the nocturnal finish.

Serum is a motif for the texture of the scent; the product is an eau de parfum. Bright fruit and spice, dense flowers, dark resins and woods unfold in a sequence reminiscent of applying layers of skincare.

aloeae: The Coolness and Warmth of Late Summer

Jérôme Epinette takes as his subject the time when summer heat still lingers on skin but a cooler breeze begins to arrive. Watery impressions of aloe and bamboo meet the aromatic warmth of cardamom. White tea is combined with Ceylon black tea extract, broadening the character of the tea accord.

Italian bergamot and peppermint add freshness, while cashmere wood and musk provide soft warmth. Within the green freshness is a quiet suggestion of lingering sunlight.

pink ivory: A Salty Edge to Sugary Sweetness

Jérôme Epinette’s floral-musky composition gathers images from different eras and textures: cotton candy in a refrigerator, watercolor, pale pink sand, and Marie Antoinette in a minidress. Orris and carrot seed sit at the center. Iris’s clean character meets a sweetness like sugared carrots, creating the texture of creamy foam.

A touch of salt is essential to the pink-sugar confectionery impression. Violet and bergamot join soft white amber and cashmere notes that support the beach imagery. Sweetness and salt bring Rococo ornament together with the lightness of the seaside.

minted: A Dusting of Powder over Iced Mint Tea

Jérôme Epinette layers iced Moroccan mint tea with jasmine petals and the dry texture of papyrus in this aromatic-woody fragrance. A little powderiness smooths the mint’s sharpness, while hints of violet and lemongrass spread around it. Atlas cedarwood gives the woody outline, bergamot adds brightness, and brown sugar brings restrained sweetness.

The accompanying imagery includes clouds of pale green chalk, a blank page in virtual space and curiosity about cryptocurrency.

neo rose: A Flower Transformed within a Book

Frank Voelkl imagines a rose pressed inside a suede-bound book, transformed with time. Turkish rose is joined by black tea, patchouli, jasmine and freesia in a floral-woody composition. Tea and patchouli shade the fullness of the flower, leaving it with a faintly thorny edge.

Pink pepper, bergamot and white woods also appear among the notes. Burgundy, cool suede and a dark garden provide a more subdued setting than a brightly flowering rose.

wood dew: Rain on the Trees as the Air Dries

Jérôme Epinette captures the moment in a forest when rain has stopped and the air is beginning to dry, though the trees remain wet. Soft Australian sandalwood and palo santo express the life that remains after the season of showy flowers has passed.

Japanese pear adds a freshness like clear air, while peach nectar, Turkish rose and white musk soften the fragrance’s landing. Peony, matcha and dewy violet also feature among the notes. Fresh fruit and flowers accompany the woods, conveying both the lingering moisture and the lightness of the forest after rain.

palmetto: A Palm from Leaves to Roots

This green-spicy fragrance takes its subject from tall palms moving in a hot wind. Leaves, slender trunks and roots extending into the earth form a single landscape of fruit, flowers and soil. Dry galbanum and sharply defined amber meet soft fig cream, with angelica seed and Sichuan pepper providing spice.

Lemon, jasmine petals and musk nectar add brightness and roundness to the green plant impressions.

By the Way…

Iris aldehyde, chosen by Nomenclature for one of its four debut creations, is a molecule that expresses iris in a modern way. The fragrance family of aldehydes is also indispensable to any discussion of the celebrated Chanel No. 5 of 1921. Nomenclature can be said to have brought back into the spotlight the behind-the-scenes protagonists that helped create great perfumes a century ago.

Quintero and Bradl cite Halston Catalyst, the Comme des Garçons Synthetic series, and Escentric Molecules’ Molecule 01 as predecessors to Nomenclature. Their own approach, however, is distinctive in telling each molecule’s “history, chemistry, and poetry” as the story of a perfume, rather than simply presenting a single molecule.

Frank Voelkl is said to have originally aspired to become a diplomat. Having studied at the perfumery school ISIPCA, he reportedly still carries the words of legendary perfumer Edmond Roudnitska close to his heart: “Never lose sight of where you are going.”

Nomenclature made its Japanese debut on April 29, 2024, going on sale at NOSE SHOP’s Azabudai, Yurakucho, and Sapporo stores and its online shop. Going against the natural-fragrance trend, it is establishing a distinctive position in Japan’s niche perfume market.

References