Boy Smells

Los Angeles, USA · Founded by Matthew Herman & David Kien · Founder-led

Gender-fluid (‘genderful’) candles and clean fine fragrance — design-led queer luxury.

Why it matters

Founded 2016 in the founders' kitchen; Kindred Fragrance House (the parent of Yves Saint Laurent and Lancôme licences via Kering Beauté) acquired a majority stake in 2022. Cowboy Kush candle and Suede Pony fragrance are reference SKUs. Reference case for queer-founded design-led brands achieving strategic exits while keeping the founders in creative leadership.

Ingredients we're watching

coconut waxclean fragrance basesessential oils

External

boysmells.com →

Other brands in Clean Fragrance

Skylar
San Francisco, USA · Cat Chen
Phlur
Austin, Texas, USA · Eric Korman; Chriselle Lim
DedCool
Los Angeles, USA · Carina Chaz

Coverage on Clean Fragrance

K-Fragrance Is Building Its Own Visual and Olfactory Language in the EU
Mariko Lin · 7 min
Clean Fragrance Is Entering Its Credibility Era
Mariko Lin · 7 min

Graph relationships

Timeline

Sources

01
Kering Beauté Takes Stake in Boy Smells ↗
Business of Fashion
02
How Boy Smells Built a Queer Luxury Brand ↗
Vogue Business

Boy Smells

Skylar

Phlur

DedCool

K-Fragrance Is Building Its Own Visual and Olfactory Language in the EU

Clean Fragrance Is Entering Its Credibility Era