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 Gatsby Yeh of Seattle-based Nose of Gatsby
About You
Tell us who you are?
Hello there. Gatsby here. I am a self-taught perfumer based in Seattle. I have a background in graphic design, and fine art. Music, art, good design, nature, and all sorts of wonderful things inspire me. I craft perfumes as pieces of delicate fine art painting to share my vision of the world, creating scents based on the above mentioned amazing things and infusing them with thoughtful design, my background, and life experiences.
How did you get into the perfume industry?
I have wanted to start my own perfume company for sometime. Probably sometime in 2010, I started to learn about perfumery and aromatherapy. However, other things just pushed back perfumery until I faced a life threatening incident. That experience reminded me how life is short and how little and fragile we are. After that we launched the brand, and received and were nominated for some fragrance awards. Now I am here writing my next chapter.
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What was the first perfume you ever purchased?
I can’t remember if it was cK One by Calvin Klein or 212 Men NYC by Carolina Herrera. But I remember both stories of how I discovered them.
What is your favorite meal?
Sushi and Hot Pot.
Where is your favorite place?
My fragrance lab in Seattle. If I can pick a second place it will be Kenting, Taiwan.
Do you have an interesting party trick or any hidden talents?
My left hand thumb can somehow bend down over 90 degrees. When I do that move, it always shocks people.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Andrew Garfield. He is a very talented actor.
About your Brand
Describe your brand in one sentence.
Fragrance is an invisible garment, and a wearable art piece – it can take you to a different dimension in a heartbeat.
Where does the name of your brand come from?
My name is Gatsby and a perfumer is called Nose, so Nose of Gatsby. There you go.
Who are your perfumes for?
Our perfumes are for anyone who is seeking unconventional fragrance, and also who is not afraid to be challenged by the scent. Adventurers who have sentimental minds and gentle hearts.
Tell us about your latest perfume.
Single Shot is my newest release. It is inspired by the power of the ocean, and the mysteries of human minds. I got this inspiration right before I was in between leaving my last career and starting Nose of Gatsby on a beach in Kenting, Taiwan. I spent some time clearing my thoughts, and thinking about my relationship with my last career. I talked with some local village people who moved there or lived there since they were born and never moved away.
I came to realize that we often build our own cage in life and there’s no need to be like that. I suddenly felt free and smelled the freedom. I wanted to capture the moment of my own enlightenment into a perfume bottle, so I created SINGLE SHOT. It smells like freedom to me.
If someone wanted to try your fragrances, which one would you recommend they try first and why?
I would recommend trying Naive. Naive was my 10th fragrance released. I looked back on my childhood memory to seek inspiration. It was a moment of my life where I felt purely joyful moments playing hide and seek with my buddies in one of the tea gardens in Taiwan. I often can feel and connect with perfumers through their work, like seeing a writer’s personality throughout their books. I feel Naive is very close to me. It is a black tea fragrance that has rose in it. If someone does not like floral or tea scents, I would recommend Aura. It is a wonderful scent.
Our perfumes are for anyone who is seeking unconventional fragrance, and also who is not afraid to be challenged by the scent. Adventurers who have sentimental minds and gentle hearts.
Gatsby Yeo
What challenges do you want to overcome for your brand?
I have a dream to have everyone enjoy scents. I want my creations to reach out to more people. As a new company, we face challenges when outreaching to established businesses, so brand awareness is important. Second is finding the right balance between working and resting. I am a workaholic and creating art takes time, but I would like to spend more time doing some exercise (for my health) and exploring the world (for inspiration.) As of this August 2024, we are a micro-batch scale perfumery, but I enjoy being one at this moment. If you own or know someone who owns businesses that are looking to feature a fragrance brand like Nose of Gatsby, please contact us.
What is unique about your brand?
Nose of Gatsby is a perfumery where all the work is made with love. It is Gatsby’s love letter to perfume. We offer a wide range of scent profiles for people and you can smell the same DNA through all of the Nose of Gatsby line. When we showcase our creations to people, my favorite thing is to hear people say “I usually don’t like fragrance and don’t wear one, but yours all really smell good and don’t bother me.” We take time to polish every scent before release. Sometimes it takes years to finish. Each of our fragrances features a story or a poem with the scent. We wove an invisible garment and you are wearing a fine art painting.