It is always inspiring to meet someone who is as committed and passionate about his work as our subject for the following interview. Andy Tauer, a Zurich-based self-taught perfumer, has put his soul into some of the most beloved niche scents known by the fragrance explorers of the world. Not familiar with his work? You soon will be, as Fez Studio is honored to be one of the few places in the world to offer Mr. Tauer's unique offerings. I invite you to take this very engaging fragrance journey with me, graciously guided by Mr. Tauer himself, and once again get excited about fragrant dreams and what it means to be a true original.
1. For those who are not familiar with you and your work, what is your background and how did your passion for fragrance begin?
Well, first I should admit that I have never seen a perfumery school from inside and that I am proud on this fact. I came to perfumery by chance, although my background as chemist with a PhD in molecular biology for sure helped me to find my way through some formula and to handle chemicals. Once I discovered that I can make perfumes myself, I started reading one book after the other about it, but Mandy Aftel’s “Essence and Alchemy” was the most influential. Amazingly enough: Although being a chemist, I started making fragrances initially only with naturals and learned to combine them with single synthetics later. Composing perfumes is much more difficult than one would think and I have learned a lot from Vero, Vero Kern, a perfumer herself who just launched her line last year. She has studied the art of making perfumes in Paris and has become a true friend with the years. I think the two of us are a perfect match, as our styles are different, but yet, we are working in the same traditional, artisanal fashion without compromising when it comes to our perfumes.
2. In such a short time, your perfumes have become a niche favorite around the world. What do you attribute to your success and sets you apart in such an overabundant fragrance market?
When looking back these three years since Tauer perfumes exist as commercial available line I cannot but smile. I smile because in a sense it is an absurd story. I made my first “commercial” fragrance for a friend, Pascal, who has a shop in Zurich where he sells books and Moroccan handicrafts. I was unemployed, rather comfortably writing job applications as we have a generous social welfare system here in Switzerland, and creating fragrances. Thus, Pascal asked me to create a fragrance for his shop, based on some Moroccan natural oils and absolutes. I worked for a long time on this scent that I centred around Moroccan rose and jasmine absolutes and the Cedar wood oil from the High Atlas. I baptized it “Le Maroc pour elle” and I made some 20 bottles for Pascal’s shop, and we fixed a price that was not really reflecting the exclusiveness of the fragrant raw materials.
Well, and then the bottles were in Pascal’s shop and we did not sell a lot. Thus, not selling the first one, we figured out we need a second one, and while working on the next one, I started a blog and discovered another blog. It was the journal of Luca Turin, the perfume critic. After reading his eloquent and wonderful critical articles, I was one day brave enough to send him my Le Maroc pour elle, and… he wrote about it! First on his blog and then in a magazine. And suddenly, we started to sell and got questions from other bloggers and without really planning it I and Pascal were faced with a global market place, where there seems to be some place left for niche in a niche in a niche perfumers.
Thus, in order to answer finally your question: I think part of what sets me and my scents apart is the fact that I am truly niche, that I do not compromise when it comes to scents, that I do not invest in marketing, and that I am simply driven by the joy of doing what I do.
3. What's have you noticed as some shared traits that Tauer Perfumes devotees may have in common?
Yes, there is a common trait: They are lovely human beings. I have met many last year when visiting the US and I felt very connected.
And then, I guess, they share this joy of exploring new scented ground, they care about where something comes from, they search for authenticity and they like being taken by the hand and let them seduce.
4. One of the things that attracted me to your line was the fact that you are PERSONALLY involved with each fragrance from start to finish. You even hand pour the scents into the bottles yourself. You are literally a single person company and this speaks volumes about your love and passion for your craft. If I can put in my two cents, it definitely shows in the results. Despite your success in the past few years, why have you chosen to remain small?
Simple answer: I am not good in book-keeping. Thus, I keep my accountings small.
Now a serious answer: There is a critical size limit when things start to change.. Once you are above this limit, you disconnect yourself from your business. I am always worried that I disconnect myself from the scents and ultimately hamper myself from coming up with new ideas. One example: I still mix my stock solutions myself, meaning I pour my millilitres of rose absolute and other materials into large aluminium cans. Doing so is like taking a bath in scents, and I find this involvement, this very intense and close contact, important for my work, for my creativity. Another factor: There are some fragrances like the Le Maroc pour elle that I can not produce in large amounts, simply because the raw materials are too difficult to get in good quality. Maybe another answer to your question might be that I have also chosen to grow slowly. It is not only about size, but also about speed. I want to make one step after the other, and while doing so I learn my lessons. I know too many who wanted to grow too speedy and get rich too fast….
Well, first I should admit that I have never seen a perfumery school from inside and that I am proud on this fact. I came to perfumery by chance, although my background as chemist with a PhD in molecular biology for sure helped me to find my way through some formula and to handle chemicals. Once I discovered that I can make perfumes myself, I started reading one book after the other about it, but Mandy Aftel’s “Essence and Alchemy” was the most influential. Amazingly enough: Although being a chemist, I started making fragrances initially only with naturals and learned to combine them with single synthetics later. Composing perfumes is much more difficult than one would think and I have learned a lot from Vero, Vero Kern, a perfumer herself who just launched her line last year. She has studied the art of making perfumes in Paris and has become a true friend with the years. I think the two of us are a perfect match, as our styles are different, but yet, we are working in the same traditional, artisanal fashion without compromising when it comes to our perfumes.
2. In such a short time, your perfumes have become a niche favorite around the world. What do you attribute to your success and sets you apart in such an overabundant fragrance market?
When looking back these three years since Tauer perfumes exist as commercial available line I cannot but smile. I smile because in a sense it is an absurd story. I made my first “commercial” fragrance for a friend, Pascal, who has a shop in Zurich where he sells books and Moroccan handicrafts. I was unemployed, rather comfortably writing job applications as we have a generous social welfare system here in Switzerland, and creating fragrances. Thus, Pascal asked me to create a fragrance for his shop, based on some Moroccan natural oils and absolutes. I worked for a long time on this scent that I centred around Moroccan rose and jasmine absolutes and the Cedar wood oil from the High Atlas. I baptized it “Le Maroc pour elle” and I made some 20 bottles for Pascal’s shop, and we fixed a price that was not really reflecting the exclusiveness of the fragrant raw materials.
Well, and then the bottles were in Pascal’s shop and we did not sell a lot. Thus, not selling the first one, we figured out we need a second one, and while working on the next one, I started a blog and discovered another blog. It was the journal of Luca Turin, the perfume critic. After reading his eloquent and wonderful critical articles, I was one day brave enough to send him my Le Maroc pour elle, and… he wrote about it! First on his blog and then in a magazine. And suddenly, we started to sell and got questions from other bloggers and without really planning it I and Pascal were faced with a global market place, where there seems to be some place left for niche in a niche in a niche perfumers.
Thus, in order to answer finally your question: I think part of what sets me and my scents apart is the fact that I am truly niche, that I do not compromise when it comes to scents, that I do not invest in marketing, and that I am simply driven by the joy of doing what I do.
3. What's have you noticed as some shared traits that Tauer Perfumes devotees may have in common?
Yes, there is a common trait: They are lovely human beings. I have met many last year when visiting the US and I felt very connected.
And then, I guess, they share this joy of exploring new scented ground, they care about where something comes from, they search for authenticity and they like being taken by the hand and let them seduce.
4. One of the things that attracted me to your line was the fact that you are PERSONALLY involved with each fragrance from start to finish. You even hand pour the scents into the bottles yourself. You are literally a single person company and this speaks volumes about your love and passion for your craft. If I can put in my two cents, it definitely shows in the results. Despite your success in the past few years, why have you chosen to remain small?
Simple answer: I am not good in book-keeping. Thus, I keep my accountings small.
Now a serious answer: There is a critical size limit when things start to change.. Once you are above this limit, you disconnect yourself from your business. I am always worried that I disconnect myself from the scents and ultimately hamper myself from coming up with new ideas. One example: I still mix my stock solutions myself, meaning I pour my millilitres of rose absolute and other materials into large aluminium cans. Doing so is like taking a bath in scents, and I find this involvement, this very intense and close contact, important for my work, for my creativity. Another factor: There are some fragrances like the Le Maroc pour elle that I can not produce in large amounts, simply because the raw materials are too difficult to get in good quality. Maybe another answer to your question might be that I have also chosen to grow slowly. It is not only about size, but also about speed. I want to make one step after the other, and while doing so I learn my lessons. I know too many who wanted to grow too speedy and get rich too fast….
And ultimately: I rather enjoy making more, different, exciting, thrilling, controversial and new fragrances, than thinking about ways to increase sales. You see…I am very much driving the selfish motives ;-)
5. You are also very selective about where your perfumes are carried and distributed. We are definitely proud to be one of the few places to offer them. What are some deciding factors that may lead you to work with some people over others?
I wish that my partners and me share an enthusiasm for what I do, for my scents and for perfumes in general. And I listen very much to my gut whether the time and place is right. And I look out for business partners that have –like me- patience and do not want to make a quick buck and then run away.
6. I know you use the best of pure raw materials without ready made building blocks. I imagine this would be quite time intensive. To date, which scent has taken you the longest to perfect?
Hmmmm (thinks and thinks)….this is hard to say because I do not always develop a fragrance linearly, in the sense that I start today working on its formula and then make one iteration after the other in a row until it is finished. I rather work on it up to a point where I do not come forward, let the whole soup sit, work on other themes and maybe come back later. Maybe. Sometimes I give up for a year or two, until suddenly I feel like having a good idea, then I rush to my bottles and mix enthusiastically, quite often just to see that the idea does not work.
Well, maybe the longest development was the Lonestar Memories. As I have worked on a leather theme since I create perfumes. But now that we are talking about it…I think I have to work on another leather!
5. You are also very selective about where your perfumes are carried and distributed. We are definitely proud to be one of the few places to offer them. What are some deciding factors that may lead you to work with some people over others?
I wish that my partners and me share an enthusiasm for what I do, for my scents and for perfumes in general. And I listen very much to my gut whether the time and place is right. And I look out for business partners that have –like me- patience and do not want to make a quick buck and then run away.
6. I know you use the best of pure raw materials without ready made building blocks. I imagine this would be quite time intensive. To date, which scent has taken you the longest to perfect?
Hmmmm (thinks and thinks)….this is hard to say because I do not always develop a fragrance linearly, in the sense that I start today working on its formula and then make one iteration after the other in a row until it is finished. I rather work on it up to a point where I do not come forward, let the whole soup sit, work on other themes and maybe come back later. Maybe. Sometimes I give up for a year or two, until suddenly I feel like having a good idea, then I rush to my bottles and mix enthusiastically, quite often just to see that the idea does not work.
Well, maybe the longest development was the Lonestar Memories. As I have worked on a leather theme since I create perfumes. But now that we are talking about it…I think I have to work on another leather!
7. This question may be a difficult one since you are involved in each the creation of each scent from the picture it draws in your mind to the finished product...but, if you had to chose, which is your current favorite scent.
I change my favourites daily ;-)
Today it is the Incense extrême that I have just launched.
8. What is the idea behind your bottle images and design
When it comes to bottles, I tend to be rather pragmatic. Tauer Perfumes does not stand for fancy and expensive bottles. I want my bottles to be affordable, simple and come in reasonable size. The design of the flyer going with the bottle and the design on the bottle itself is a little bit more critical to me. It is a very thin line. On one hand I want to express thoughts on a scent using a picture, and then I do not want to impose my pictures on others who might have totally different visions. Lucky me I have my blog: There, folks warn me from moving too far when it comes to visuals.
9. What is next that we may look forward to from the Tauer perfumes?
Well, I have Ford pick-up full of ideas in my head. Besides that, there is a scent built around Vetiver, a rather green and flowery take on it, that sits on my bench and waits patiently for the next step. It is finished, and I just need to make my mind up what to do next. Then there is a quite avant-garde fragrance, built on the idea of a mechanic after work, with hyacinths in his hand, a bunch of flowers for his beloved one. A lush flower scent with a leathery base including a hint of motor oil. This scent is travelling the world right now. Your readers may find out more visiting my website and look for the "bottle on a journey". And then there is the chypre....but there I am still suffering.
10. Where can our clients find more information about you and your line?
I recommend visiting my blog from time to time. I have started this very personal online journal almost 3 years ago and I talk about new developments, about my life and building a business on perfumery, and from time to time I ask my visitors to comment on new ideas, or I give away samples of fragrances under developments. I welcome your readers to contact me by e-mail, too.
This blog is one of the best ideas I came across when starting this business. It keeps me connected to a community of perfume lovers, it is a way of exchanging ideas, and sometimes folks bring me down to earth when I am in danger of flying off to far.
11. Finally, your recommendation to perfume lovers in search of the perfect perfume?
Never ever give up, and while searching enjoy the ones that come somewhat close to the ideal.
For more information on Andy Tauer and Tauer perfumes, please visit
or contact us at: (503) 227-2226
Fez Studio
1125 NW 9th Ave
Portland, OR
97209
1 comment:
Thank you for this most candid and lvely interview. Very nicely done!
Mr.Tauer has graced our pages as well and is a joy to talk to, isn't he? Not to mention he makes wonderful fragrances, heh?
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