
Fragrance Friday
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A
Hey guys. Welcome back to Spin Energy. This is a Fragrance Friday special, and you have such an amazing brand with us today. I am such a huge fan of their work and all of their creations. Many of you might have heard of them, and they've really kind of, I think, in my opinion, taken over the niche fragrance space in such a beautiful way because every single fragrance in the collection hits home. It's. It's just something that you want to keep forever in your collection. So without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to Lev Glassman and Alina Roitberg, who are the founders. Founders of the maker. Welcome guys. I'm so excited to host both of you.
B
Thank you, thank you.
C
Thank you for having us.
B
Yeah, great. Great to be. To be here. Thank you again inviting us.
A
Yeah, no, it's an honor to host you both and I, I am such a fan of what you've created and the whole idea right behind the hotel and then the. The fragrances and the inspiration. I can't wait to dive into all of that. And I, I want to actually get started with kind of. Maybe one of you could walk us down memory lane and tell this inspiration really originally stem from, you know, for the maker overall.
B
Well, I mean, it's been. It's been years in the making. You know, from Alina and my experience traveling, one experience in and. And passion towards design. As. As we sort of like as. As fresh became a little bit more mature brand and we started thinking about like, how we can take a next step and bring something to the forefront where we can create. Create a place that could bring people in and they can really be in our environment now. Hotels was always something that we loved in our traveling, but we always were very picky where we would stay and which property would pick up. So we're always look for something that off the beaten path, some. Something that very special, that's highly curated. And we felt also that in. In the world of hospitality, something that was more difficult to find is. Is property that's very unique and they don't follow sort of like the standard way of how the hotel needs to be. Like the rooms have to be the same, every single room. You know, things are getting more standardized. Don't misunderstand me. It's. Some hotels are very beautiful, but we felt like, especially when you're traveling and you want to experience something that will be very, very special and, and Alina and I started talking about it many years ago and, and said, what if we would open the hotel? How would it look like and, and, and for Alina. And the dynamic is that when we start talking about something, it's almost. The seed is plenty planted. And, and, and the conversation is keep on going and going and going until it gets to the point where you're asking, asking us, actually asking yourself, can you actually do it? And, and, and, and then, and, and then when you start crossing this line and thinking, oh, maybe I can. And, and, and then you start galvanizing the idea and the concept. And we started thinking about, okay, well, we can open the hotel, but we also can. It could be an amazing platform for us to be able to create a great sort of like, it could be like a lifestyle brand, but also to create fragrances and have this amazing platform for that. And so we started sort of like dreaming in that direction, and all of a sudden things started making sense because everything that we like and passionate about and it felt like it was start falling into place and start making a lot of sense.
A
Yeah. Like puzzle pieces started coming together.
C
Yeah, that's right. But, you know, it's also, it's interesting because when we started fresh with the shop, we opened the store and there was like this kind of a dream to create a certain world that we were dreaming about creating. And I think that the, you know, experience of retail is that, you know, people open the doors and they come into your world and you share with them what you're excited about and what you have. And I think as the time progresses and got a lot more into design, designing different stores and having this experience and really understanding what true hospitality for people coming into retail could be. And I think that ambition grows because eventually you feel like, what is the ultimate, you know, world to build that is a hotel? Because people not only come in, not only they eat and drink and they sleep, so you really take an incredibly active audience into the world that you want to build.
A
Right, Right. No, that's such a fascinating, actually, the whole concept to me. When I first learned about the hotel itself, I was incredibly mesmerized because very rarely do you get to see concepts that really bring home the idea of, like, true hospitality. I mean, if you look at anyone's home, right, no room is the same. No part of that entire building is the same. There's an experience that you have everywhere that you go in that space. And I've always wondered that, actually myself, with a lot of the hotels I've stayed at is like, it shouldn't. Why is everything exactly the same? You know what I mean? It doesn't feel right. And so I think the entire idea when as a consumer, when you're looking at it and what you guys have built, it actually resonates much more than just a place you're going to stay on your travel. It becomes this idea of like it's a whole experience that you're having, you know, and, and you're building memories. So that's very, very beautiful to me as a consumer just looking at it. So I can't imagine how beautiful it was to build that concept and really bring it out. It's wonderful. I want to talk about the fragrances because I know that you guys truly have such a wonderful cult following. And you know, I'm definitely one of the biggest fans. You describe your fragrances as rooted in fantasies like liberation, confidence, sensuality. What made you want to tell the emotional stories through scent rather than through traditional olfactory pyramids?
B
Well, scent was always a huge part of my life, you know, ever since I was a little kid, you know, growing up in Russia. And at the time when I was growing up in Russia, I mean, I left Russia when I was 10 years old. But at the time it was an iron curtain. So there's not a lot of fragrances available on the market. So you had one fragrance is available on the market was made by one of the Russian factories, it was one for men, one called Red Moscow. And it was pretty horrible. And the problem is that I always refer to it, to this fragrance is that if you take Chanel number five, this, which is very well respected fragrance and but you add Lysol into it, this is literally the way it smelled. And the problem was, is that because it was the only fragrances available, everybody smelled like that. And I was always sensitive to the smells and particularly, you know, being surrounded by sort of like, I felt like this is basically how the world smell. This is, this is what it is. Until one day my mom took me to the black market to buy a fragrance that is was smuggled to the country from France by a smuggler. And these black markets would be popping up and a lot of young ladies and other people, men and would be going there and buying things that were brought from overseas because Russia didn't have much to offer in that way. And so I remember when my mom took me it, you know, those sort of like black markets, they're popping up and they go, it's like you have half an hour to run in and. Because they close very quickly because it's a criminal offense at the time to do it in Russia. And I remember when we're standing in line to, to, to. To this person that smuggled the fragrance. And my mom was very concerned that we might be running out of. She might be running out of the fragrances. And she wanted it so badly. So when we finally. To this box that he was selling it out of, he, you know, she grabbed, she grabbed the box. She paid him 120 rubles. And 120 rubles were equivalent to one month's salary. And we used to pay, in our communal apartment that was shared with other families, 22 rubles a month in, in rent. So, so she paid a phenomenal amount of money to buy that very little fragrance. And I remember when she took me aside and she sort of like opened the box and pulled the fragrance out and put it on, you know, start applying it on herself. I was at the moment we were both transformed. I mean, my mom, I was looking at my mom and I, I could see sort of like the sparkle that, that, that, that joy that like, on her face. And I myself felt some sparkle transported because I never smelled something beautiful like that. And for me, this was when the seed was planted and fragrance became my way of dreaming, my way of memorizing things, my way of experiencing certain moments. I started truly, clearly understanding that fragrance is very transformative. And it could take you places. It could take you to places that you've been to. And you, you, you sometimes capture in, in your memory through a scent. And, and I was fascinated with the fact that I would be coming home and my mom would not be there, but I could smell her fragrance. Our Spirit will be There. I was so fascinated with that. And that give, you know, it gets my endorphins going. I mean, it's like it. You really have, you know, sort of like emotional and physical and sensorial reaction all at the same time. And, and remembering people, you know, somebody who you intimately involved and you've fallen in love with, you start remembering by their scent and becoming very arousing. And so, so fragrance became a huge part of, of me growing up and exploring that world. And, and that's why, you know, when Maker came into the picture, you know, Zelina we discussed, said it could be just as I said it early on, it could be an amazing, amazing platform to sort of like express it. And then I'm going back to fantasy to. Your question is that it's. Is the, the fantasies in particularly when, when you go to places, when you travel, when you're outside of your home and you go away and you're in a very neutral zone, you Put everything behind, and you walk into a place that is extremely inspiring. It's Soul Treat has so many textures and. And it affects your visuals and. And it. It's just a. And I started imagining what could happen inside this world and what kind of. I started fantasizing myself what kind of interactions people have, will have with others between each other and. And what can actually happen in some of these spaces. And particularly as the hotel being very sort of like, sensual and sultry, it's sort of like it leads you to this place of, like, some fantasies and moments that you can experience in this place. And. And the fragrance helps me a lot to take some of those stories that some of this experience that happen or could happen, some of my personal experiences, and start imagining some of those stories that could be associated with these moments while you're there.
A
Absolutely. No, I think your brand is one of the few brands for me, specifically as a consumer that I. I mean, I fell in love with it as soon as I smelled your first fragrance, because I know exactly what you're talking about, you know, when you say it brings you into a place of not only, like, you know, you remembering something, you know, because a lot. Most of the fragrances in the collection for me, I can say, only speak for myself, but they do bring me back to some sort of a memory, whether it's like my childhood or something that I experienced, you know, in my own life. But then they also do bring me into a place of what I would imagine something to be like, you know, if there. Like I was. I think, you know, when I first tried them, Libertine became my favorite, like, immediately, because I love how it brings you to a place of just, you know, it's fresh, but it's also very. I think it's like being doused in. In the. In the freshness of it, you know, and so it makes you want to actually be in a. In a location that's going to remind you of, like, you know, fruits and. And beautiful things, like, you know, summertime and springtime, and it just. I don't know, it really does bring you there very cool quickly. Whereas a lot of times with fragrances, I think it takes time for them to dry down and then you start really experiencing them. That's not what I had with. With the Maker. It was like, immediately when I spray the fragrance, I'm there, you know, I'm captivated. My senses are involved. So I want to ask what was a moment maybe that was inspired, like, in a moment at the Maker Hotel that led to the creation of one of your fragrances. If you can give us like an example of one of them.
B
I'll give you an example. The first fragrance. It's interesting because the ideas were coming to me as the spaces were completed. The hotel was opened in different stages. So as I was working to complete one space, I started to imagine to myself the space populated with people. And I had to start activating it because to me, as building the hotel, we were building it and designing it together with the fragrance in mind and what each one of the spaces that could trigger that inspiration in me. So, so as we were completing our lounge, which was the first one that opened, it's a. It's a beautiful bar when we're going so almost to what completing. Almost towards the end, I started thinking I could see this couple sitting in front of this beautiful fireplace and, and having this sort of like they've, like this intimate moment when they having a great drink together. There is this music of Billie Holiday plays in the background. There's a clinking of glasses. I actually started imagining even smack smoke of tobacco and, and, and because it's, you know, from the fireplace, I start to imagine, you know, how do I make it not to smell like just like. Like a burned wood, but also like something that has like an even, even more sensual appeal to it. And, and people, they sort of like the world. The world is there and, and they. In the public space, but they yet so intimately connected in the moment to each other. They. They smell each other because their closeness that they could smell, they could smell each other. They. And they interacting in. In a very intimate way when they're sharing some things that they. Their expressions towards each other and their moment of true, true happiness where your endorphins and dopamine shoots right in. And you feel like you separate from the world, though you're still in the public space, but you. You really in that incredible, beautiful bubble with that person that you with. And that's, that's the. The first fragrance I start imagining. And that's why you have the juniper berry in that, you know, which is coming from the gene. And, and, and you have sort of like some of the smokiness. You have the beautiful vanilla that is there that is sort of like very rich vanilla. It's very, very addictive. So I started sort of like imagining all of these elements that will go into the fragrance to sort of like capture that. That. That moment between, between those two people.
A
That's so lovely and so beautiful to hear that. I mean, I think that one of the things that stands out also for me is that all of the fragrances in the Makers collection are beautifully genderless, and they're very immersive. So I want to ask, you know, do you approach each scent like a character or like a place or both?
B
It's. For me, when I think about the fragrance, it has to be a story. It has to be. I have to imagine the story. It's either the story that I in some ways experienced in. In. In this type of setting or whatever, the. Whatever that memorable moment in my life, or I can fantasize about it. It always starts. It's. To me, it always starts with the story. That's the only way I can imagine it. You know, it's a place. It's. It's whatever. Wherever you were at the moment, it's. It's always starts with that. I don't wake up and say, oh, I could smell rose and I can smell jasmine. I can smell this, and this is what I want to do. No, there is always have to be a story. There has got to be. In order to create an emotion and the fragrance, you literally have to have a story that also connected to some emotion, Right?
A
No, that makes a lot of sense, actually.
B
Always is.
A
Yeah. No. You know, what's really fascinating to me, and I. I think this is such a beautiful part of your brand is that you both have created something that everybody can enjoy, you know, And I think that's very unique because in the world of fragrance right now, what I see as a consumer is a lot of fragrances that are just either their price point is just too high, you know, and normal people can't experience them, or they're just outside of the scope of, like, you know, understanding or connecting with people. Right. There's. There's just too much going on, it seems, sometimes. So where was that balance for you with your creations? Where it was like, you know what? We want this to evoke that. This kind of response. We want people to like with Lover, for example, you. When you beautifully described the experience of two people connecting, you want people to feel that, but then you don't want it to be something that is only very niche to a few people. Right. It's universal. It's something everybody can get behind. What. What was that balance like? I mean, what. What does it take to really strike that balance when you're creating?
C
I mean, I wouldn't talk about the creating the juice, but I just want to say conceptually.
B
Yeah.
C
You know, I think the part is that, you know, and this is what's kind of been incredible is that, you know, generally you come up with something in your head and you don't necessarily have real destination. I think the fact that there is a living, breathing source of inspiration is like a great beginning and then it allows you to fly.
A
Right.
C
Because you know, when you think about people experiencing things when we travel in hotels and you know, whether you take on your own identity or where you do a hidden part of yourself, but, but you know, when you kind of have a possibility of a challenge or the new experience, you know, that is an incredible endorphin. You know, you get excited, you know, your heart rate fastens, you know you're ready to accept and experience new things. And whether that was something that will change you eventually or whether it's something that you know, in some way turn maybe the flow of your life or your mood, etc. And I think having that as like a base, this, you know, line of idea like the place, whether it's real or imagined, you know, yes, there's a real maker hotel, but it will be very easy to imagine how you feel or felt in a place that you had an incredible memory of. Yeah, I think this is like when you think about that your palette is really painted with that when you have already a built in interest to explore certain things that you can not just when you went out to walk your dog. Right, right. You take away the prosaic. I think this is a very universal idea. I think all of people can really come to connect. It doesn't matter what type of hotel, for example, somebody traveled with, you know, but if they had experience in amazing room service or a certain like touch of service that just made it remember. Or maybe it was just a memory of being somewhere with somebody special even when you were there by yourself and just you thinking about the experiences you had. All of these are really emotional aspects of what makes us human. And I think with the olfactory nerve being such an important sense of our living, it's not as complex to tune into it or to tap into it. When you can activate something that really turns somebody's brain on. Right?
A
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
C
Paint a beautiful picture that is offset by very unexpected sensorial experiences. I think you are creating a very particular home, a very specific niche. How you would really express and carry and wear that fragrance.
A
Yeah, absolutely. No, I think that's beautifully said and it's very fascinating to me because I think we're living in a world right now where everything's so fast, you know, it's so fast paced. It's. Everybody's running around and rushing around. And I think when I look at the brand you're creating and the space you're creating, I see it as you're giving people the time time and it's like allowing people to take a minute and experience everything. And so I think that's where like the concept of having the hotel and then having the fragrances with it and this whole package deal, I mean it really evokes this idea of like you need to pause in life, you know, and like take a minute to experience whatever it is that you're in. And so I want you to speak Alina a little bit to that concept if you don't mind about this idea.
B
But can I add just one more thing?
A
Of course.
B
Question is want to give an example? So we have, you know, a fragrance for example, like Naked, right? Yeah. And it was very much inspired by as I started by telling you about the first fragrance called Fire and that couple and in the fireplace and they having this amazing time with each other and then it could be them with the night preceded and you know, the magic continued and they interacted intimately with each other and continued this incredible sort of like a moment that they shared together and took it further. And is that something that I think a lot of people could relate to when you. When you with somebody and you embracing somebody and how your sensor inter start getting to being intertwined. How the sheets that you wrapping both of yourself into sort of absorbs your smell and sort of like the exchange of this pheromones that happening with two individuals it creates its own concoction. And that's was in the fragrance like Naked. This is exactly the moment that this inspired me. And it's particularly. And if you read the story it's called even the story that's associated with that is. Is read as such is that the cool light of dawn melts past the edge of the age of the curtain and we come alive together only here right now between these sheets like velvet in this magical moment in my memories forever. So this is what I refer to. So even. Even if somebody who is not up there or never and will be in the hotel, but that story that sort of like triggered that for that moment happening there. I believe that it happened to a lot of people and they can somehow relate to it and start imagining it and said okay, now I wonder what does it smell like?
A
Right, right. I love that. I really love that. And I think very, very rare to actually see someone being able to describe all of the fragrances are so beautifully like kind of, you know, the words really depict this beautiful scene in everyone's mind. I mean when you read it, you can really understand like this is what I'm experiencing when you smell them. So the, the senses are tied very closely together, you know, with the description and then also the experience you have, like the olfactory experience you have. I know that recently you launched a new fragrance, right? The Revel is new. So can you talk to us a little bit about that? What inspired revelation.
B
Revel is another, you know, so, so because I'm, I'm thinking it first of all in at the Maker. Yeah. And because that's a big source of inspiration, people always celebrate things always. And the Maker is becoming sort of like the hotel, the destination where people propose to each other, celebrates anniversaries. We had weddings in there. Very beautiful, very, very special, very intimate. Weddings, birthdays. Every special occasion for people. We've seen it all in so many times in every weekend it would be with somebody proposing or it's a big anniversary or there's always that celebration that's happening there. And, and people always treat it as a very, very special place, as a destination to celebrate it. So that's one. But also as somebody that was about to get married and that beautiful young lady, she wanted to have a special fragrance for her wedding. And for me, taking sort of like the cues of what I see at the maker and also what that I create something for the wedding with fragrances start that feeling very uplifting and, and bring sort of like true joy. I made a fragrance for her and she absolutely loved it. And that started sort of like for me going into that story of like, yeah, I'm experiencing it here myself. So a lot of people actually can, can have a fragrance that can sort of like commemor their. Their moments of celebrations and, and, and, and bottle. It's something that's so joyful but it's very much was inspired by that celebratory moments that I see at the Maker all the time. And, and for me started to think, I started thinking, okay, well how do I make that fragrance that's really going to come across as being joyful and happy and, and sunny and, and yet it's in the end the fragrance that created for this young, young woman, it's not the same fragrance. It had the inspiration, but it's not the same. It's have similarity. But it took me way further after I've done it and the inspiration was again, you know, the Maker and what's happening inside.
A
I love it. I love it so much. And I, you know. One, I have one last question, and this is, I think, very important to a lot of us, you know, consumers, because I love to layer fragrance. I think it's something that, you know, for me, when I grew up, I grew up in a household where fragrance was very central, you know, to how my mother did things and, you know, just the way my house smelled and everything. And so layering comes very. I don't know, it's like second nature to me with everything right? And so with right now, the way that fragrance world is, there's a lot of people who are coming out with all in one fragrances. I mean, I think when you think you can layer something, it just turns out to be not great. But I. I've noticed with your collection, the entire collection of perfumes, they're very layerable, and they work beautifully together. They work like, almost synergistically, you know, when you layer them, was that intentional or how did you. I mean, how was that aspect created?
B
Yes, and it's a very, very good question. First of all, it's interesting. You know, we're calling it layering. I like to carry pairing. I have a very particular way how I always like to mix fragrances, because very rarely I wear. I wear more than one. But. But the way I do it, I never layer it one on top of another because that never works. That never, for my opinion, it would know, would not perfectly works because you take two compositions and you're mixing them together, and it could be very disproportionate, and you never know where it's going to land in terms of the dry down. So typically, the way how I do it is that I spray one on one, one side of my shoulder, the other fragrance on the other side of the shoulder, one on the back of my neck, 1, 1, 1 on my chest area. And I let the. Those two fragrances to start communicating with each other, and it creates an aura. So to me, that is, I find it to be the best experience of mixing fragrances. So that's one second. It's. When I designed the collection, I wanted to do it in such a way that each fragrance will have its own individual personality. But there's always a thing that's going to be weaved through the whole collection, and that is the sun, you know, the sensuality of the expressions of the note. They have to be very sensual. And it means is that they have to be anchored always with beautiful woods, some great spices, you know, pheromone. All of them have that. And that's why when you mix them and is exactly what it is. Yes. In some ways it was done on purpose because I wanted to make sure that the collection is very much interconnected, although each one of the fragrances is very different. But in our collection of fragrances, it's very easy to mix them with other. To layer them to. To layer them with other. Because. Because of that. Because again, there's a. Some common denominator, particularly on the dry down, that it works all the way across. And you can layer any fragrance within the collection whichever way you want. And it's always going to end up working because. Because of. Particularly the bottom part of the notes, which is the dry down, which has that. I always spend a lot of time on that to make sure that it grounds it in a certain way. 1. But it really keeps the sensuality of the fragrance alive.
A
Absolutely. Yeah. No, I've never. I've definitely noticed that. I've definitely noticed that when I've tried them and I've. I've played around a lot, you know, with all of them, and they're so beautiful to layer and they come through in such a unique way. I think, you know, when you layer certain fragrances, sometimes it just doesn't. I don't know, it mixes in a way where if you are somebody who likes like a more fresh, citrusy or, you know, kind of like the uplifting notes, if you layer it with something else, those kind of things go away in a lot of times, but it doesn't happen with your collection. It's very much cohesive and it works together beautifully. So I really appreciate that as somebody who is a consumer of the fragrances, and I love them so much.
B
So thank you. Thank you.
C
You're great to have some of these, you know, picks and love suggestions on pairings through some of our, you know, d digital communications just to kind of drive people towards, like, the. The right idea of how to pair fragrances. You know, why you would, you know, add this one to this one in order to create the character that may take you further, but it's. It's really in that. And, you know, the part. It's. Obviously I've worked with love for over 30 years, and, you know, the one thing that I discovered just when I met him personally in the beginning, and then knowing and looking through this is that, you know, because he has a very, very, very unique sense of smell that actually he can visualize smells. You know, I think it's Fascinating. It's like really speaking the language of fragrance. Truly beyond the idea, beyond the story, but truly, like, where ingredient and like, this sensorial experience is connected to that. I asked, and I know I'm talking about you love in front of you, but.
B
Thank you.
C
It's like, I always wonder when he's working with, you know, he's working with different perfumers across industry. I mean, he's known for his sense of smell and his sense of direction and architecture of fragrance and design of that. But, you know, like, it's like, how do you know when you go through so many, you know, workman, how do you know when something finally is right for what, you know, you're creating? And he said, like, he imagined this is in his head and he knows what you smell like. And when it comes to his nose, when he actually smells it, that's when he knows it. And I think that is just such a. A crazy thing because it's so abstract, you know? Yeah.
A
Yeah.
C
A lot of times, you know, when this certain fragrance comes in the ideas, it's not like, okay, you know, this is. This is very different. This isn't like you're creating a fragrance, you know, a lemon fragrance. You know what I mean? You create something that makes you feel free and libertine and doing whatever you can and something that's flighty. And all of the ideas were like this story, and the notes are so interconnected. So even before we, as a team start smelling what he's working on, you know, a lot of times, like, we're surprised because we don't know what to expect. But then somehow it makes so much sense that that's the direction, you know, I think that makes the maker fragrances so unique and have a very particular language. It's a really particular style. Industry had noticed that too, so it was really great.
B
And, you know, actor also that there is in. In terms of the fragrance, the way. How it's funny, the way it works in my head, and maybe because I used to dream about things, and of course I dream about the. When I dream about the fragrance, I actually could dream it in color, how I could measure the. I could see the fragrance as a color, and then I start seeing it as what notes need to come to. To the fragrance. And it's in my head. So when I brief it and I work with different perfumers, we have a very unique way of working together because I actually bring to the table a lot of the times, I actually bring some suggestive compositions in the fragrance because I could Smell it in my head. I know what the fragrance needs to smell like. And until I don't hit it right, I hit it like where it's in my head, the journey is going to continue. The research, the development is going to continue until, like, like, I remember the Lover. I worked on it for a year. I was obsessed with this fragrance. I wanted to be very, very particular. I wanted to be like all of our fragrances, you know, they gender inclusive, they for everybody. I wanted to make sure that it's in such a place it really could be loved by people and people could really relate to it. And I worked for you. I had like, I don't know, maybe 200 submissions from different perfumers and, and so forth. And. And I remember when Frank, the perfumer that I worked with, with very closely, he's did some amazing fragrances during his great career. I remember I sprayed the fragrance on the blotter and like, my head was like that, this is it. This is. This is what I smell. And that's. That's just how it works for me.
A
I love that. That's wonderful. I mean, that's, it's very, very unique. I mean, you're a set savant that I, I guess you could say when you, if you can imagine that, well.
B
It'S very, it's very cute, but I cannot. And, and it's. To me, it's sort of like, it's very. It makes me very restless in many ways because I feel like I'm there, but I'm not there. I'm almost there, but I'm not there. So what is the other thing I need to tweak in order for that to be there? So you try it. You know, the process. Go through a process of elimination. You know, take one thing out, put something back, and it's. It could be a very long and very detailed thing because I just smelled in. Smell it in a certain way in my head and I can't take it out. So every time I smell something that it's not fully there, it's close enough, but it's not there in my head. Like, no, that's not it. That's not it. That's not it. Until it just hits it. Right.
A
I love that. And, you know, I really appreciate that because there are too many. I think we, like I was saying earlier, we're living in a society now where people are just bringing things out, you know, just like launching product by after product, after product. And the thought gets lost when you do that. You know what I mean? And so when you, when you're doing what you've described and you're taking it to the point of like, no, now I'm happy with this, and now I will bring it to the rest of the world. That is so valuable. And I know, as consumers, all of us, I know many of you listening, can resonate with that because it is what truly makes you appreciate a fragrance. I mean, the difference between the, the bottle I have, you know, and I keep for two years versus something I use maybe three times. Right. In a lifetime, that's the difference between that is like, how much thought was there behind the scenes and how much time was taken, because that will come through, you know? And Alina, it's kind of what you were speaking about, where the olfactory nerves, nerve, and the way that it interacts with our brain is so powerful that we can't ignore quality when it comes to fragrance. You can't even if you want to, you can't ignore it. So I think that's. That's so beautiful. And I really appreciate what you guys have created, what you're creating. It's. It's truly remarkable. And I can't praise it enough, you know, I really can't as a consumer.
B
Well, thank you. It's very, very kind for your kind words. Appreciate it.
A
No, from the heart. And for everyone listening. If you haven't already checked out the maker, please, please, please do so. You're going to be blown away, but thank you so much, Alina, and love. This was such an honor to host you both and to learn from you. It's. It's been wonderful.
B
Yeah, no, thank you so much. I appreciate it very, very much.
C
That was great. It's always such an interesting conversation to have, you know, so much beyond the product, you know?
A
Right, right. Absolutely.
B
Thank you.
A
Hey, guys. So I hope you love that episode. Please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform. We are available on so many different platforms, so wherever it is that you're tuning in, just go, hit subscribe. You'll be immediately notified when we publish new episodes. This way you're able to tune in to amazing insights from experts, brand founders, industry leaders, authors, all the wonderful people that we host. And that's very important for me because I love to hear from you guys. Guys and really understand what you love and what you want to hear more of. Also, make sure to give us a follow on all of our social media outlets. We're available on Instagram, Tik Tok X. You name it. We're there. We also have a blog on Medium, so if you're a reader and you love Medium blogs, check us out on Medium. We publish some really great articles on there that do deeper dives than just what's available on the podcast, and it's really a great place for all of you science geeks out there that want to learn a little bit more. We go above and beyond with our research and making sure we're bringing you information that you usually probably won't hear about in other outlets. So check us out, leave us a comment, leave us a review, and we'll be back next time with another episode. Thank you.
Fragrance Friday Special • Host: Dr. Ekta • Guests: Lev Glazman & Alina Roytberg
Release Date: August 29, 2025
This episode dives into the creative universe of The Maker, the hotel-turned-fragrance-brand founded by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg. Dr. Ekta guides a journey through their holistic approach to design, sensory storytelling, and how personal memories and spaces transform into evocative scents. Lev and Alina share their philosophy around building immersive environments, the emotionality of fragrance, anecdotes from their past, and the artistry behind their genderless, experiential fragrance collection.
[00:44 – 04:52]
Breaking away from uniform hospitality: Lev recounts their desire to create a hotel that mirrors the individuality of a home, where every room is different, every corner tells a story, and guests are deeply immersed in an experience—contrary to standardized rooms of typical hospitality.
From Fresh to The Maker: Alina discusses how their early retail experience (Fresh) inspired a love for crafting worlds for people to enter, ultimately incubating the ambition to build an entire hotel as the ultimate immersive environment.
“When we start talking about something, it’s almost—the seed is planted. The conversation keeps on going and going… until you’re asking yourself, ‘Can you actually do it?’”
—Lev [03:08]
“What is the ultimate world to build? That is a hotel... you really take an incredibly active audience into the world that you want to build.”
—Alina [04:26]
[06:13 – 12:07]
Personal history: Lev shares a vivid story about growing up in Russia with limited access to fragrances, describing the moment he and his mother bought smuggled French perfume from the black market, and how this imprinted the power of scent in his mind.
Fragrance as transformation: Scent is viewed as a deeply emotional trigger that can transport, evoke memories, and spark fantasies—serving as both a representation and a creator of intimate moments.
“When my mom took me... she grabbed the box, paid him 120 rubles—a phenomenal amount... I remember... we were both transformed. My mom... joy on her face. I myself felt transported. I never smelled something beautiful like that. For me, this was when the seed was planted, and fragrance became my way of dreaming…”
—Lev [06:56]
“Fragrance is very transformative. It can take you to places... you sometimes capture in your memory through a scent… I was fascinated that I’d come home and my mom would not be there, but I could smell her fragrance. Her spirit would be there.”
—Lev [09:30]
[13:37 – 16:29]
Designing with scent in mind: As hotel spaces were completed, Lev would imagine stories unfolding within them—visualizing scenes, moods, and even the music and clinking of glasses—to inform the creation of each fragrance.
Example – Lover: The first fragrance was inspired by a cozy, intimate moment in the hotel lounge, combining notes like juniper berry (gin), smokiness (fireplace), and rich vanilla.
“I started thinking—I could see this couple sitting in front of a beautiful fireplace... there’s Billie Holiday playing, clinking of glasses, a little smoke… How do I make it not smell just like burned wood, but have a more sensual appeal? That’s the first fragrance I started imagining.”
—Lev [14:00]
[16:49 – 17:45]
Lev emphasizes that every fragrance begins as a story—rooted in either his own experience or imagined fantasy. The scent must have an emotional connection, not merely a list of ingredients.
“For me, when I think about a fragrance, it has to be a story. That’s the only way I can imagine it... In order to create an emotion in the fragrance, you literally have to have a story that’s also connected to some emotion, right?”
—Lev [16:52]
[18:50 – 21:24]
Balancing personal stories with universal appeal: Alina describes how the real, living environment (the hotel) provides a recurring source of inspiration, allowing guests to connect through their own memories and emotions—whether or not they’ve visited The Maker. The olfactory experience taps into fundamental and accessible parts of being human.
“When you think about people experiencing things—when we travel, we’re ready to accept and experience new things… That is a very universal idea.”
—Alina [19:18]
“You paint a beautiful picture that is offset by very unexpected sensorial experiences. I think you are creating a very particular home—a very specific niche.”
—Alina [21:09]
[22:11 – 27:21]
Naked fragrance: Inspired by the intimacy after a night together—skin, sheets, pheromones—a moment many people can relate to, whether or not they've been to the hotel. The written story for Naked intentionally evokes this universal, sensual scene.
“The cool light of dawn melts past the edge of the curtain and we come alive together, only here, right now, between these sheets like velvet—this magical moment, in my memories forever.”
—Lev, reciting Naked’s imagery [23:07]
Revel fragrance: Born from observing countless celebrations at The Maker: proposals, anniversaries, weddings. Originally, it was made for a guest’s wedding, then broadened to bottle the joy of communal celebration.
“How do I make that fragrance that’s really going to come across as joyful, happy, and sunny? ...It’s very much inspired by those celebratory moments I see at The Maker all the time.”
—Lev [25:53]
[27:21 – 31:34]
Intentional design for compatibility: Lev prefers thinking of layering as “pairing.” Rather than spraying scents on top of each other, he recommends applying different scents to separate pulse points—allowing them to mingle in the air.
Collection cohesiveness on purpose: All Maker fragrances share a common sensual thread, built to remain distinct yet harmonious in combination—anchored by woods, spices, and an inviting signature dry down.
“When I designed the collection, I wanted each fragrance to have its own personality, but always be weaved through… the sensuality of the notes… That’s why you can layer any fragrance within the collection whichever way you want, and it’ll work—because the dry down has that common denominator.”
—Lev [29:37]
[31:34 – 36:44]
Alina praises Lev’s rare ability to visualize, dream, and architect scents even before they exist—he chases a concept relentlessly until it’s right.
Lev describes a near-synesthetic process: he “sees” the color of a fragrance in his mind and continuously iterates with perfumers until the scent matches his internal vision, sometimes chasing perfection for a year or more.
“Because he has a very unique sense of smell—he can visualize smells. It’s fascinating… it’s really speaking the language of fragrance truly, beyond the idea, beyond the story.”
—Alina [32:07]
“I remember the Lover. I worked on it for a year. I had maybe 200 submissions from different perfumers... And I remember, when Frank, the perfumer, sent it—I sprayed the fragrance on the blotter and… this is it. This is what I smell.”
—Lev [34:30]
This episode is a deep dive into the artistry of The Maker, where design, storytelling, and scent harmonize into immersive, genderless creations. Lev and Alina offer both practical and poetic insights into how to build memories into spaces and bottle emotions into scents, making their fragrances universally resonant and uniquely personal.
Explore The Maker’s world and experience how fantasy, hospitality, and scent intertwine to create lasting memories—each story, each note, crafted for all.