Latest / Skin Anarchy / Chris Collins Reveals the Stories Behind His Iconic Fragrances

Transcript

Chris Collins Reveals the Stories Behind His Iconic Fragrances · Skin Anarchy

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hey guys, welcome back to Speaker Energy.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: This is your host Nexum.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: I'm really, really excited about this episode.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I have been looking forward to this for quite some time now.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: As many of you know, you know, Fragrance Friday is a very special series for us, and we've hosted many brands, but I don't think I've been as excited as I am about, you know, this one.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: So without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to Chris Collins, who is just an amazing, amazing person, very talented in many different areas of life.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Many of you might know Chris.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: He was a spokesperson for Polo Ralph Lauren for over two decades.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, now he's really taking over the fragrance world and creating just timeless pieces there.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: So welcome to the show, Chris.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so honored to host you.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to learn from you today.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for having me, and thank you for that wonderful introduction.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: No, of course.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, I'm really, really honored to not only speak with you, but to learn from you today.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I can't wait to learn about your journey in creating your wonderful fragrance line.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Because as we were speaking about, you know, prior to the recording, I mean, I it's my everyday now, you know, it's in my everyday routine, and that's very rare for me as a consumer, you know, when I really embrace a fragrance so much that it becomes part of my daily, you know, use.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I can't wait to learn about, you know, everything.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: But if you could get us started, just tell us a little bit about your journey.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the modeling world and now fragrance.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, walk us down memory lane.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it all started when I graduated college in 1996.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: I know I'm aging myself, but you know, that's just such as life.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right after I graduated college, I met an agent who introduced me to Ralph Lauren, who thought I'd be a great spokesperson for his for his line, which is one of the most iconic American brands I think ever made.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: So for 20 years, yeah, I modeled for Ralph Lauren and traveled the world and most importantly, learned so much about like marketing and branding and you know, just those things that I, you know, were just around all day long.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he created a universe of people through wearing his his clothing.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I kind of took that with me when I created my brand, but we knew that I was going to create a brand until I met a perfumer who mentored me in the world of perfume.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And it just started as like a love affair with me and fragrance as a kid all the way through high school and college.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: I was always known as the guy who smelled good.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I never in a million years thought I'd ever figure out how to create fragrance, let alone create my own brand.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: So it's been an incredible journey thus far.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, some ups and downs, but to be here and to be able to storytell and create amazing, you know, thought-provoking fragrances.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think all fragrances are built around storytelling.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: At least that's the angle that I usually take when I create fragrance.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: So so yeah, so here I am.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I mean it's it's so interesting to me because when I meet multi-talented individuals yourself, it always kind of blows me away because you know, you've you really killed it in the modeling world, now you're killing it in the fragrance world.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, how was that transition for you?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, going from modeling and working into creating your own brand and and you know, the creative aspect of all of that.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: How was that?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's funny because I think, you know, as far as the way that I see the world, I think like there's there's that thing that we do that we do pretty well, but then there's that thing that we're like, you know, obsessed with that you know, if something burns in your stomach and you really it's your calling.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if modeling was my calling, but it was something that I was pretty good at.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I lasted two decades doing it, and I learned a whole lot creatively.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: It was always in me.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Fragrance was always there, it was right in front of me.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, for most people, I think the you know, their calling or whatever they're you know supposed to do in life is in front of them.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you gotta open your eyes wide enough to see it.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I think fragrance was that for me.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it was it was an easy transition.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, it wasn't easy to create the brand and create the fragrances, and you know, there's a creative part and then there's a business part, right?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Creatively, I was able to put it together with some help of some talented people, but then you have to run the business.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a whole other, you know, situation.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, and that makes sense.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think it's it's very fascinating to me, uh, the fragrance world because the creativity is so it it's kind of out of the box thinking, you know, that you see a lot of that.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: And that to me has been the most fascinating aspect as a consumer, you know, with the fragrance industry and the world of fragrance.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: Because, you know, although we try to describe things like notes or just you know how things smell, yeah, right, when we're recommending a fragrance to our friends or our family, it's really about an experience more than anything else, you know.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that is 100% true.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's this hundreds, if not thousands, of fragrances on the market.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna, you're gonna, you're going to want to be, you're gonna want to wear the one that you emotionally connect with, you know, that tells a story that resonates with you or fantasy that you'd like to be a part of.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think those are the fragrances that we are are drawn to because you're right, it's it's crowded, there's a lot of fragrances, fragrances booming at the moment.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So you got to create something that emotionally connects with people.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly, exactly.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I'm I'm just so fascinated by you know your brand and what you're doing, because you know, I'm not a bel like I I understand the value of trends, you know, don't get me wrong, I do, but I really value the you know, the true inspiration behind something that's timeless, you know, timeless pieces, whatever that may be.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, when I look at I look at the you know, some of the you know, pieces in your collection and African Rubos is the one that's been talked about the most, you know, I feel like, you know, that I've seen.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I love that's the one that I'm obsessed with.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I use it every day.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I look at this, you know, that you this piece that you've made and and I wonder, it's like, you know, yeah, trends will change, but it's like the the way that you've combined everything together in a you know, in a timeless way, in a creative way that blends with whatever mood you're in.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, for me, this fragrance can blend with all of the other ones I love, you know, that I've been using for many years.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: It can be layered with so many different types of fragrances, you know, and it can be changed according to my mood, according to an event.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, what was that process like for you when you crafted this?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's really truly it's phenomenal, you know.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And African Robots has developed like this cult following, and it's my bestseller around the world.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: But you know what?
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't plan who knew no one really knows, right?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I compare it to like going into a studio and making music, you know.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: You just want to make good music, and you know, the audience will determine which one is the hit, right?
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so everyone loved African Robust, it's so versatile.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's fresh, it's spicy, it's witty, it's welcoming, it's a little mysterious.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's like all of the above.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's why people are incredibly drawn to it.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny because when I first started creating fragrance, you know, I was, you know, I didn't really know how to make sense that everyone would enjoy.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I was more trying to please everyone rather than creating something that was that spoke to me and that was important to me then and you know that I could stand by and defend, you know, if need be, and then accept the praise for it and all of the above.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I was creating fragrances trying to make everyone happy, and I was failing because if I made someone happy who didn't like it, then the other person who liked it before didn't like it anymore because I changed the recipe of it.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I just I just started to learn, especially as I grew more confident in my creations, to just make fragrances that I'm absolutely in love with, and that there's a very emotional, connected story to it.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: And when I decided that, the second I decided that these are for me and hopefully people will come with me on the journey, that's when I started to really open up being more a little bit daring and risky when it came to creating my fragrances.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I think those are the ones that people resonate with.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, playing it safe, you know, that's not gonna work.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: People want something that's like out of the box and like wow, I never smelled that before.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: And when I smelled it, it transported me here and I feel this way, and so forth and so on.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I think those are the type of fragrances that resonate like with you and you know, most consumers.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's just amazing because you know, I mean, the yeah, you can't really play it safe, I feel like, with fragrance because at the end of the day, I mean, the whole idea is to have your own personal signature, and that's how I see it, you know, and that's created, you know, by many things.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, the fragrance is a the biggest component, but also, you know, what really fascinates me about your fragrances is that you're really thinking outside of the box, but then to be able to do that in such a daring way, in such a beautiful way, but then also keeping in account that they're everybody's skin chemistry is different, you know, so it's gonna play differently on everybody.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: So there is this component, yes, this is unique on its own, you know, standalone as a fragrance, this is unique, but it's also even more unique because of the way you're gonna smell when you wear these fragrances.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, no one's gonna smell this.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's where you've really killed it, you know, you've really hit it out of the field with this one because I I feel like that's you know, you've created a a very specific scent, but it's different for everybody that wears it.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that's I mean, yeah.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: There is a scientific component.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: We well, if you want to talk about body chemistry and fragrance, I mean I could create something and it smells completely different on everyone, and sometimes you know it's not a good thing because you know, someone who would think like you love African robes, but a friend of yours may smell it and try it and say, This doesn't work on my skin.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So that is just the nature of perfume.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: But there's definitely a body chemistry component to to fragrance, but you know, it depends on you know the acidity in your body, skin color.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's like there's a lot of things that go into play, but I'll I'll let that kind of handle itself.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to just create amazing fragrances.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's all.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: No, I want to ask you because you know, since we're we're discussing this fragrance, I I really one thing I really appreciate is that you're bringing a lot of culture to the forefront, you know, right here.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Because and that that is very exciting, you know, to see as a consumer because unfortunately, there are so many times that I have encountered, I mean, I'm Indian by my heritage, and many times I've seen my own culture never really get the recognition it deserves, you know, in a lot of the different industries that you know I come across in the beauty industry, wellness, whatever.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: And it's always sad to see that.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: But I the way that you've brought like the actual culture of South Africa forward, you know, in this fragrance, I mean, that speaks volumes to me as a consumer, you know.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: So tell us about that, you know, bringing that cultural component, you know, in what you were creating.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: How is that?
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's interesting because as like the first, you know, black perfumer to to launch in like major retailers and to be, you know, globally distributed, you know, I I didn't know how A, I'd be accepted in the fragrance world, but B, you know, I felt like, you know, what do I need to or what can I do to invite people into my world and to feel comfortable in it?
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: And what I decided to do was just launch fragrances based off of actual experiences of my life andor fantasy that I actually have and be honest and be vulnerable and just like let people in, you know, as much as I can when it comes to like the creative process over the fragrances.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then at the end of the day, you got to make good fragrance, you know.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I I told the story of African Robos because 30 years ago I visited Cape Town and I had this robust tea as I'm wandering around, you know, the streets and fell into a tea shop.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, wow, this is you know, it's this red tea, which you know was so bright and vibrant and it was spicy and it was woody.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, I don't know what my reasoning is for being in this tea shop, but maybe one day I'll I'll figure it out.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I launched the fragrance brand, I said, Man, I gotta go back to that tea note.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because I did see some, I noticed that there were some green tea fragrances, there were some black tea fragrances.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, I want to make this red tea fragrance, and and it just came out.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't even have imagined that it would be doing this well.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: So very happy about that.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: I love that you got inspired and you know, you just kind of followed the inspiration.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's really awesome.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think sometimes people kind of talk themselves out of a really great idea, you know.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: I've seen that for a while.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: So true.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's so true.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, and sometimes it's just simply right in front of you.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, when when with most people, I don't know if they know or not, but like when I create a fragrance, there's a story, there's a universe, there's something that I want to create.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'll go to the perfumer who's the actual chemist, and I'll say, This is what I this is the story I want to tell.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Here's how I want it to feel.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: I want to I want it to be either lean and masculine or lean and feminine or being unisex.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: So we get the whole kind of reef for me.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: And they'll present something to me, and then I would either say, I like it, but I would love to like turn this note up or turn this note down.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: So those are called mods.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: So you do modifications until you get the fragrance gets to the place that you want it to be.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: When the perfumer showed me African Robos, I didn't touch it.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: The first iteration was the one that you have in the bottle that you have.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't have to touch it, I didn't have to move it, I didn't have to say it's to this or to that or not enough this.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when that kind of magic happens, you know that this is the fragrance to launch.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: So that was that it was speaking to me, it was right in front of me.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Don't play around with it, don't talk yourself out of it.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's right there.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Just launch it and tell the story.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: That's that that's meant to be.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: That was supposed to be like that.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: That's so cool.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I want to actually I want to shift gears a little bit because I know you know, we just spoke about cultures and you know, and bringing culture forward, but also like one thing I love that you're doing is it's also shining light on history, you know.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the fragrances I'm very intrigued by, and I think it's it's really fascinating, and I want to learn the story is Harlem Knights.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, tell us about Harlem Knights and the culture and the history that you kept in mind when you were crafting this one.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: So the idea, so I live in Harlem, I've been in Harlem 20 years, in November will be 20 years, and the idea of the brand came with me being in my home in Harlem.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, you know what?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: I need to contribute, I need to tell a story about this fascinating, amazing historical place of black culture, and I need to tell it in a very charming way.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: Because what a lot of people don't know, there's a huge connection between France or Paris and Harlem in the 1920s, Renaissance, because a lot of the, you know, the poets and the the performers like Josephine Baker and Langston Hughes, they all went to perform in Paris because when they weren't accepted here in the United States, the French said, Come here, we'll accept you, we'll love you.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: So they all went to France.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, of course, they went to the Capitol, they went to Paris to perform.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I felt like I needed to tell this the story of Harlem Knights.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: And there were two other fragrances in that collection, one called Renaissance and the other called Dancevage.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I felt like I needed to tell that story for two reasons.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: One, I wanted to contribute to the Renaissance, the 1920s Renaissance, and the Renaissances that currently happened in Harlem and everywhere else.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to create that trilogy of fragrance, but I also knew that it would be a great connection between the perfume world, which I think we all know perfume is primarily French, the perfume world and Harlem.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: And when I told the story, you know, I didn't know how it was going to be taken, but the French press loved it.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: They were like, no one has ever told the story of perfume through the eyes of like jazz and and the Renaissance and France and the United States and New York City and Paris.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it was like this big moment in fragrance where where people's eyes were open.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: And they were like, Well, we can tell other interesting stories besides what's already been out on the market.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that that was kind of like my introduction and my calling to start telling more stories like that.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's that's really, really, you know, I mean, I can't think of a better way to not only like do something iconic, but to also educate people, right?
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: At the same time.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it at the end of the day, it's the stories that are told through your fragrances are they're inspired by actual like events, you know, and actual things.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: And that that really goes a long way, I think, for a lot of consumers out there because I mean, for f for me, fragrance is a way to get away, you know, and it's a way to support yourself.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's exactly.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, when you think about when I I love the 20s, you know, I remember being like in college and being obsessed with the 20s and you know, wanting to learn everything I could.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, there was nothing I could like buy that was, you know, I used to be that kid that looked up, you know, what was you know, obviously the music, but what what were people wearing like in the everyday routine?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, what were people doing?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so that kind of curiosity, I mean, it's it comes out again when you encounter something like this, you know, it comes out again from you, no matter what age you're you know, you're in at the time.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: So that's why I'm very intrigued by what you did with Harlem Knights and Renaissance, because I I don't think a lot of people even know about this stuff, you know, historically speaking.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: They really don't.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it was important for me to pay homage and it was a good starting point.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, not every fragrance would, you know, will tell a historical story, but it was important for my brand to tell that story because I still have masterclasses at my place in Harlem.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: I still have, you know, like, you know, jazz and perch human events.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it was, you know, very important for me to for that to be like the origin of the brand.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it was, you know, people still to this day, like Harlem Knights is still one of my bestsellers.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: So people are very open, you know, to learning more about Harlem in the 1920s renaissance.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's so cool.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Now I want to ask you one thing, and this comes up a lot because I think, right again, you know, with the rise of TikTok, you know, nothing against all the TikTokers out there, but you know, there's a lot of stuff that I think has become like fast, you know, fast fashion, fast beauty, fast fragrance, everything, you know.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I I really want to ask you about this idea of unisex fragrances.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what do you think of when someone says that to you?
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like, because I feel when I see your fragrances, I wear them, my fiance can wear them, you know what I mean?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: My mom can wear them, everybody can wear them.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're they're beautiful.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, how does how do you approach that, that terminology and and I don't know, I mean, thinking about this new category that's emerged?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's funny because uh when I was when I was young and I started working, started making some money.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: I bought my mom her first gift for her birthday.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the first gift that I was able to buy her was a Terry Mugler angel or woman.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it was like, you know, I said, you know, I love this fragrance.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: I never smelled it and says, oh, it's more feminine than more masculine.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: I just smelled it and I loved it.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I'm gonna get this for my mom.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I would even wear it sometimes, you know, and it's like, you know, a gourmand fragrance, it's slightly sweet.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: And that was kind of like my, you know, introduction into fragrance, although my dad wore some like colognes back in the 70s, which you know I'm still in love with to this day.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: But I just I think you just wear what you want.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: You wear what you're what you're attracted to, what what calls you.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think we sometimes wrap our heads around, and I get it.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: And for marketing purposes, you know, most people would probably tell me and have told me, well, Chris, maybe you should make something for men.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: You know, there's like this movement now where young men are like really getting into fragrance and they want something that they can identify with.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I get it.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I may even do that at some point, but I still want to create, you know, fragrances that just you people love, you know.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_00: The fragrance that are considered more feminine, men love them for my collection.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: And the fragrances that are considered more feminine, more masculine, women love them.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I just decided just to create great fragrance.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: People will say, are they for men or for women?
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: I just say yes.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: For men and for women, yes, they are, but you have to determine which notes, you know, call you.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's kind of like that's the main basis.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's the main, like people may say, I don't really like white floral fragrances.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so now let's move over here.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: I don't really like super woody, spicy fragrances.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's move over here.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about masculine or feminine, it's just about what you love and what notes call you.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: No, that makes so much sense to me.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: I I love that you you said that because you know, it it recently is what I've seen this kind of trend of, you know, well, no, this is really feminine, or I mean, maybe I'm just out of the loop, you know, but I I've I didn't really notice it either growing up, to be honest.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there were for me, it was like first fragrance I fell in love with was some something random, you know, that my mother introduced me to, but she said that, you know, she originally got it for my father and I ended up loving it.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: So it was, you know, I had no idea as a kid.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so now when I'm an adult and I see all of these like distinctions, and you know, this is for women, this is for men, this is for unisex, I just it never sits well with me as a consumer either.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's more so like why, you know, why is that distinction there?
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: So well, it's funny because like the the one the one note or class of notes that usually classify more feminine scents are floral notes.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have a gardenio or rose or you know, you lang your lane or whatever that is, most of the time you like heavy floral fragrances may lean more feminine.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: So if I ask you, do you like floral fragrances?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Then by if you tell me no, then I know that you want your graces to lean a little bit more woody, more masculine.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Not to say that they're for men, it's just a little bit more, a little less feminine, let's say.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll know what you like based on the notes that you tell me that you don't like.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: So that you can work backwards into something else.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's uh yeah, that makes a lot of sense, actually.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and I I've actually, you know, just to relate to that, for example, musk, like just the word musk for me, what for a long time it was like a no.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like I just couldn't do it because unfortunately the few fragrances I tried that did have, you know, it literally written in the notes, musk, you know, whatever it was, it didn't sit well with me.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, my skin didn't like it, or wherever I would, you know, spritz it, it didn't like it.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so for me, for a long time, I thought, I just can't wear musk.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's masculine, you know, it's a masculine note.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: I can't deal with it.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I I it doesn't vibe with me.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: But then again, you know, like you've got that in your fragrances.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, this is amazing.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and and and truth be told, there's probably musk in almost every fragrance.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: So even even the more, even the more uh plural fragrances.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: So it all depends on how it's used.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it that makes a lot of sense.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, one one curiosity I have is you know, more so around this idea of kind of creating something new every time.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, what is that process like for you, that that creative process of not being redundant, you know, with your with your creations and and keeping that momentum going, you know, for your brand.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: How is that process like for you?
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, people, you know, when they come, when they want me to introduce them to my collection, I I usually get the question, like, which one is your favorite?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, I mean, I created all of them.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I love it.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they're all my babies.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: So the the best answer I could give them is the next one.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: The next fragrance is my favorite because now I'm on a new journey to create a new story, something interesting, something thought-provoking, something emotional.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I think when we first started, I said, you know, the fragrance industry, it's crowded.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of fragrances out there.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: So how do I grab the attention of someone where there's like hundreds on the show?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, it's just based off me.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I have ideas of fragrances, you know, in the next two to three years, but you got to create something unique, something emotional, something that sparks something in people, and it has a great story.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, 14 fragrances now.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: So I need to make sure that I keep pushing the envelope, that I keep telling great story telling around the fragrance and just kind of let the chips fall where they may, but always pushing the envelope.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: People know what to expect from me now.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: They don't want anything safe, they don't want anything commercial, you know.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: Although, you know, it's a business, you still need to sell fragrance.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be, you know, too niche, but you just want to create fragrances that people say, you know, this is why I love Chris Collins, because it it makes me feel this and it doesn't smell like anything that I could get from anywhere else.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, and that's not easy because again, you know, the industry is really crowded.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, I think as long as I stay true to myself and kind of the ethos and we're kind of fragrances that I love to create, I think I'll be in good shape.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we love you, you know, and everything that you do.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: So please don't ever change.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: Keep doing what you're doing, honestly.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: We have enough, you know.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like I always say this about skincare.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: I can't, I mean, I can't say it about fragrance because I'm not educated enough on it.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: But with skincare, I always say we have a lot of packaging out here, guys, you know, and it's there's a lot of redundancy.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: So when whenever I see something new, I'm like super excited, you know, like, oh wow, we've done something new.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: So right.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: And people want innovation, you know, they want something, you know, if it's the same thing, doing the same, uh has the same ingredients and same processes, and people want something else.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: People want something, you know, yeah, that's for the the future or you know, provoking.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, you gotta be creative.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's in packaging, because I think people's people, especially in perfume and the fragrance world, I think people smell with the eyes first.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: You see something, you're just like, wow, what is that?
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the packaging may grab you, and then you come over and then you get introduced to the fragrances, and now you're kept in that universe and you want to be part of it.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: So we just gotta be, you know, innovative, you know, moving forward for people to want to stay interested in in our creation.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: Now I wanna I wanna round out the interview and ask for some words of wisdom, if you could, Chris, because I know there's a lot of budding entrepreneurs, you know, that listen in and they want to start their own thing or they might be doing their own thing, you know, any advice you could offer about the business, you know, not only obviously fragrance, but you know, you have such a strong background in, you know, in just I guess fashion and everything, you know, related.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: So any advice you could give.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: You know, uh, I'm glad you asked that question because there are a lot of people who probably have some incredible ideas, you know, you know, starting a business, whether it's in fragrance or skin or beauty or anything else.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: And my always my advice is to just start.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like people get in their own way, and you know, and I get it, you know, fear creeps in.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: And what if no one likes it?
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: What if no one wants it?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: What if I can't get it into stores, like whatever success means to them, and they procrastinate and they don't do it.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I say, just start.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: Even if starting means writing it down and putting it somewhere where you can see it, because now you have put this idea into motion.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you just think about it and you don't act on it, you may never go back to it.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: Our minds are busy, life is busy.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: You may have an idea and all of a sudden things happen and then you forget about it, and then you lose energy.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I tell people all the time, just start.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about the ending, don't think about that yet.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_00: Just put it in motion and let everything happen, and then the energy will become kinetic and it will push you into the place where you like to be.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, not all not all ideas or business ideas work, but at least you gave it a chance.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, just just start.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about everything else.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about sales, don't worry about the marketing.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: Just start creating and it will lead you into the path where you need to go.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Kind of like just follow your inspiration.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just you know, just do it.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about it.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about failing.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, just just just go.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: The fear of failing will paralyze you.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: So don't worry about that.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Just just go because then when you look back on it, you'll probably regret not starting if you didn't.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: So just go forward and put everything in motion.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really great advice.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: I hope someone listening in, I hope you guys, you know, take that to heart because honestly, like, you know, there's a lot of people right now that are trying to get into their own thing, you know, start a business, they have an idea, but yeah, a lot of there's a lot more to business than just the idea.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's sometimes it's it's really taking that risk.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I love what you said.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: And there may be a lot of people who are trying to talk you out of your idea because you know, to them it's hard.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: To them, it's it doesn't seem feasible while you can't let that happen.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Chris, this is so awesome.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: I love talking to you.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_01: I could talk to you for hours, honestly.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I love everything about what you've created, what you're doing.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, please keep going.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like I said, you know, we're here for you.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: We're always, you know, I'm rooting you on, really.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like I love what you're doing.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: And our next launches, our upcoming launches, I'll make sure you get some bottles so you can see kind of how it's evolving.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, yeah, what an honor.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'd love to try them.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, what are you working on next, by the way?
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_01: What is what is coming so you can give us a sneak peek?
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: I have an exclusive that I'm working on for Sephora next year.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm working on a fragrance like in the Apple space, like a gourmand.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: I've always wanted to do that.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: I like cherry, I like you know, mysterious dark cherries that I might be working on next year.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, like we said earlier, I want to create a fragrance and ask the question what would my 14 because this is when I fell in love with fragrance at 14, what would my 14-year-old self want to smell right now?
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to I want to create that so I maybe I can you know inspire some young men to get into fragrance earlier.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_00: So those are some of the ideas that I have swirling.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's so cool.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's so cool.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to see what you come up with.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: This is yeah, I love the idea for for younger men to you know to really explore.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's really cool.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think one of the biggest compliments is when people say, you know what, this is my son's first fragrance, and I really wanted the fragrance to be one of yours.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, God, that's so much to me because I remember me as like a 14-year-old running around, not knowing what the hell I was doing, and I just wanted to smell good, and I knew exactly where that young man is.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully I can create something for that.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think you will.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think you're gonna, yeah, you're gonna probably nail it.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you guys heard it, you know.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_01: Stay tuned because there's some amazing stuff coming.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: So, but that's all from Chris.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for sharing.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: And again, you know, it's been such an honor to host you.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_01: And if you ever have time again, please come back for another episode.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's been an honor.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: Please make sure to hit subscribe if you're tuning in to us on any podcast platform.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: We are available on so many different platforms.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: So wherever it is that you're tuning in, just go hit subscribe.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: You will be immediately notified when we publish new episodes.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: 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.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that's very important for me because I love to hear from you guys and really understand what you love and what you want to hear more of.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: Also, make sure to give us a follow on all of our social media outlets.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're available on Instagram, TikTok, X, you name it, we're there.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: We also have a blog on Medium.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're a reader and you love Medium blogs, check us out on Medium.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: We publish some really great articles on there that do deeper dives than just what's available on the podcast.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really a great place for all of you science geeks out there that want to learn a little bit more.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: 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.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: So check us out, leave us a comment, leave us a review, and we'll be back next time with another episode.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.