The other day, I found myself walking through the grand hallways of one of the last true department stores still standing. You know the kind—polished marble, echoing footsteps, escalators that creak with age and memory. It felt almost like entering a museum. And maybe it is one.
In this place—this fading monument to a different kind of retail—I witnessed something unexpected: a small but curious group of young men (and women) at the perfume counters. Not rushing. Not distracted. But searching.
They were sniffing through bottles, picking up one flacon after another — they were clearly on a mission.
What were they looking for? From what I overheard and observed, it wasn’t subtle florals or gentle musks. No, they were reaching for boldness. For strength. For power and presence. For something big. And yes, in most cases, for something expensive.
There is a growing trend—call it a movement—among the younger generation toward strong, assertive, and statement-making perfumes. These aren’t the quiet, minimal scents of the early 2000s. They are creations that demand attention. They last. They project. And they say: I’m here.
But—and here’s the bittersweet part—their journey often begins in the wrong place.
Department stores are, let’s be honest, mostly dead. Or dying. And there’s a reason. Their perfume offerings have become painfully predictable: shelves lined with “pseudo niche” brands. Loud packaging, lofty price tags, but no soul. No story. No depth. Many of these brands are little more than marketing constructs, designed to look niche but built to scale fast and fade faster.
Worse yet, many of the scents themselves are mediocre, if we’re generous. Some, simply unpleasant. When I walked those aisles, I realized something curious: many of the well-made perfumes from the 1980s would count as niche today—bold, creative, unapologetically unique. We’ve come full circle in some ways. But the quality, the depth? Often missing now.
And yet—I found hope.
I saw these young people searching. Really searching. Not just grabbing the latest “viral” scent from a TikTok list, but leaning in. Asking. Testing. Thinking. There was curiosity in their eyes. The kind that leads to questions like: “What else is out there?” “Who made this?” “Why does this smell move me?”
Their journey may start on the department store floor—but if they keep going, it can take them somewhere meaningful. To true artisans. To perfumers who blend with soul. To fragrances that are not loud for the sake of volume, but strong because they mean something.
So yes, I walked away a little heartbroken at the state of things. But also a little uplifted. Because the love for perfume, for real perfume, isn’t dead. It’s just beginning again, in new hearts.
And that is worth everything.
