Creation

Wilhelm Perfume supports fragrance projects in various contexts, from eau de parfum and fragrance lines to signature scents, natural cosmetics, art projects, workshops, and industrial applications. What's crucial is not so much the category, but the quality of the inquiry: We are looking for projects with clear aspirations, precise objectives, and the willingness to take fragrance seriously as an independent medium.

A good brief doesn't just describe how a fragrance should smell, but also the context in which it functions. Information about the brand, target audience, application, desired effect, market environment, and any references is helpful. Technical or regulatory requirements should also be considered as early as possible. The clearer the brief, the more precisely the olfactory direction can be developed.

Yes. Depending on the project, we deliver the perfume oil directly to you or your production partner. It is also possible to integrate existing development or production structures into the process. Especially in the B2B sector, this collaboration is often beneficial because creation, implementation, and production can be precisely coordinated.

Wilhelm Perfume can develop fragrance compositions exclusively for a brand or company. Typically, the client receives the exclusive marketing and usage rights for the developed composition, while the formula itself remains the property of Wilhelm Perfume. This separation is not uncommon in perfumery and ensures that exclusivity and quality can be reliably managed in the long term.

Generally, yes. A complete IP transfer is possible, but significantly more complex than merely using an exclusively developed composition. The reason is that a formula does not automatically smell identical when produced by a different manufacturer. Differences in raw material qualities, sourcing, and production conditions can noticeably alter the result. For a fragrance to remain precisely preserved after a transfer, additional documentation, coordination, and in many cases, technical re-implementation are required.

Both. In addition to new developments, we also support repositioning, range extensions, olfactory refinements of existing lines, and reformulations of existing products. Especially for established brands, it is often valuable to evolve the existing fragrance language rather than reinventing it.

Every development begins with a briefing and a clear objective. This leads to an olfactory concept, which is then translated into initial formulas. Variants, evaluation steps, and further iterations follow until character, effect, and technical feasibility harmoniously come together. Depending on the project, regulatory checks, production, maturation, and quality control are then integrated.

That depends heavily on the project. A clearly managed development with a precise briefing can be completed in a few months. More complex projects with multiple iteration loops, international requirements, or demanding technical specifications require significantly more time. Fragrance development is not a quick process, but rather one of precision, experience, and coordination.

Fine Fragrance is primarily a wearable scent, usually as an Eau de Parfum or Extrait. A Signature Scent is an olfactory identity for a brand, a place, or an experience. Functional fragrance applications, on the other hand, are developed within a clear application context, for example, in body care, home care, air care, or natural cosmetics. While the creative approach is similar, the requirements for effect, technology, and application differ significantly.

The fragrance pyramid remains a helpful model for describing the progression of a scent. It distinguishes between top, heart, and base notes, making it clear how a fragrance unfolds over time. However, for the actual creation, it is only one part of the whole. What's crucial is not the schema, but how a fragrance performs as a complete composition.

A fragrance must not only prove itself in the lab, but also where it will actually be experienced. Therefore, its effect and behavior are always tested within the application context: on the skin, in a room, in a product, or in combination with a specific carrier material. This real-world testing is particularly crucial for signature scents and functional applications.

With both. For creation, natural raw materials are available, as are nature-based and synthetic molecules. A good fragrance is not born out of ideology, but from the quality of the composition. What matters is which raw material provides the desired effect, stability, and technical suitability in a given context.

Synthetic molecules significantly expand the perfumer's palette. They enable fragrance effects that are limited or non-existent in nature, and they often allow for better stability, precision, and reproducibility. Modern perfumery therefore almost always works with an interplay of natural and synthetic components.

Natural cosmetics require a different set of decisions. Depending on the standard or brand philosophy, we work exclusively with essential oils, natural isolates, or an extended range of nature-based and biosynthetic raw materials. Simultaneously, naturalness, scent, skin compatibility, stability, and regulatory requirements must be harmonized. It is precisely this balance that makes natural cosmetics challenging and interesting.

This depends on the target market and application. Relevant standards and regulations include IFRA, European cosmetic regulations, and potentially other local requirements. For international projects, these specifications must be considered early on. Regulation is not an afterthought; it's an integral part of professional development from the outset.

IFRA defines safety standards for the use of certain fragrance ingredients in various applications. These guidelines help minimize risks and ensure products are safe and marketable. In practice, this influences both the formulation of new fragrances and the revision of existing recipes.

After final approval, the perfume oil is produced. For alcoholic perfumes, this is followed by dilution with perfumery ethanol and distilled water, as well as a maturation period during which the components harmoniously blend. Afterwards, filtration, filling, and quality control take place. Depending on the project, these steps are carried out in Zurich or with production partners.

Quality is evident not only in the fragrance itself but also in its stability, reproducibility, and technical execution. Therefore, depending on the project, the process includes analysis certificates, stability tests, safety assessments, optical inspections, and leak tests. This ensures that the product performs well even after production, transport, and application.

In practice, the result depends not only on the formula but also on the quality and characteristics of the raw materials used. This applies to both natural and synthetic components. Two manufacturers can formally work with the same recipe and still achieve slightly different results. Especially with sophisticated fragrance compositions, experience in implementation is therefore just as important as the recipe itself.

A Signature Scent is a specially developed olfactory signature that makes a brand, place, or experience uniquely recognizable. Unlike a classic perfume, it is not primarily intended as a personal fragrance, but rather as a sensory extension of an identity. It creates recognition, atmosphere, and emotional anchoring.

Signature Scents are used in retail, hospitality, exhibitions, showrooms, brand spaces, events, or as part of a product experience, among other applications. Depending on the context, the scent can subtly permeate a space, be associated with a giveaway, or become part of a larger multi-sensory concept.

The development is based on the brand's identity, its values, and the specific application context. Together, we define the desired effect of the scent – whether it should be calming, distinctive, warm, surprising, clear, or emotionally charged. This forms the basis for initial directions, which are then refined and tested in a real-world environment.

Yes, but not as a simplistic translation of individual adjectives. A good signature scent doesn't arise from buzzwords, but from a precise understanding of brand, space, target audience, and mood. Fragrance works where language and images often fall short. Precisely for this reason, it must be developed carefully and with nuance.

Workshops are suitable for companies, teams, clients, communities, or groups who want to not just theoretically understand fragrance, but experience it directly. They provide a sensory introduction to perfumery and make it understandable how fragrance can be composed, perceived, and individualized.

A workshop format has been developed that can be booked at The Notes in St. Gallen. The goal was to create a format where participants not only learn about fragrance but can also create a genuine and wearable Eau de Parfum. This involves working with curated perfume bases that are individually personalized.

Selected private fragrance projects are generally possible, provided that the scope, objectives, and format align with Wilhelm Perfume's working methods. Such inquiries are reviewed selectively. The focus is not on short-term individual requests, but on coherent projects with creative and substantive aspirations.

Private projects are generally viable from a minimum quantity of 300 bottles. This threshold is due to the effort involved in development, implementation, and production. For smaller, experience-oriented formats, a workshop is often the more suitable starting point.