Each week in Indie Perfume Brand Spotlight, we question different brands to find out more about their brand and the people behind it. This time we question James Elliot from Filigree & Shadow.
About You
Tell us who you are?
I am a self-taught independent artisan perfumer in Seattle.
How did you get into the perfume industry?
I started in 2011 after a store in Europe wouldn’t ship a fragrance I wanted (the headache of shipping Dangerous Goods), so I said to myself, “Fine. I’ll make my own fragrance. How hard can it be?” I spent a few years teaching myself how to make perfumes using botanical materials, and I released my collection online in December 2015. My work was recognized for creating ethereal fragrances despite only using natural materials.
What was the first perfume you ever purchased?
My first purchase of a fragrance was Metropolis by Estée Lauder in 1987, but then I discovered Salvador Dalí pour Homme and wore that exclusively for a decade.
What is your favourite meal?
I love a good vegetarian mezze platter: falafel, baba ghanouj, hummus, tabouli, dolmades, fatoush, and fresh pita will always put a smile on my face.
Where is your favourite place?
Anytime I get to travel outside the U.S., I have a new favorite! I did make the mistake of seeing Vienna after Prague. I would have been more wowed by both cities if I had reversed my itinerary.
Do you have an interesting party trick or any hidden talents?
My hidden talent is a charm offensive. You can get a lot done by simply being nice, and a little charm goes a long way.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
I would want a mash-up of Beatrice Arthur, Quentin Crisp, and Paul Lynde to play me in a film. Maybe separate the movie into three acts so each actor gets a chance to have fun with the role.
About Your Brand
Describe your brand in one sentence.
Where fragrances become an art of emotions.
Where does the name of your brand come from?
The name Filigree & Shadow emanates from a twice-borrowed reference to the song by Fever Tree.
Who are your perfumes for?
My perfumes are the gold that holds together their broken pieces. You may have always been a bowl, but now you are a cup that shimmers.
Tell us about your latest perfume.
My latest fragrance is a celebration of Margaret Thatcher’s death. My husband gave me the inspiration with a pub he wanted to open in the UK called, “Margaret Thatcher’s Still Dead,” but decency laws prohibit the use of a person’s name. The fragrance notes are everything Margaret would have loved about a dark room in a gay club: cigarettes, latex, leather, party favors, poppers, sweat, and used underwear. I’m working on another fragrance that is a person having a conversation with God in a church, but that won’t be released until after May.
If someone wanted to try your fragrances, which one would you recommend they try first and why?
If people are in Seattle, I would encourage them to visit my fragrance studio and smell to their heart’s content. But if people wanted to order my fragrances online, I would always recommend a sampler set. My fragrances don’t fall within the norms of what people expect a fragrance to smell like, so choose your own adventure and see where they take you.
What challenges do you want to overcome for your brand?
I want to overcome the expectation that a perfume has to be sold in big bottles or for a lot of money. My full-size bottles are 15ml and I use water as the solvent instead of alcohol, but people constantly fall in love (and melancholy) with my work.
What is unique about your brand?
My fragrances make people cry. The rose soliflore I made for my sister has made a few people misty-eyed, and the fragrance I made for the National Nordic Museum has brought a few of their visitors to tears with missing home. A woman found my store online and knew nothing about my work, yet smelled one of my fragrances that reminded her of her mom and started to cry. I love the connection people feel with my fragrances and their memories.