The Heritage
The Story of Commodity
Commodity is a Modern American Perfumery that rethinks fragrance from the ground up. Founded in 2013 via Kickstarter, the brand introduced Scent Space, a revolutionary system offering each fragrance in three projection intensities: Personal, Expressive, and Bold. This approach puts control directly in the wearer's hands, challenging the idea that fragrance is one-direction. Clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and designed for all genders, Commodity builds scents around elemental simplicity: Milk, Gold, Book, Rain, Moss.
Heritage
Commodity launched in 2013 as a crowd-funded experiment, becoming the first niche perfume brand to offer a try-at-home model with buy-online approach. The original founders believed niche fragrance should be accessible, not gatekept. Their discovery kit concept became an industry benchmark. In 2019, Vicken Arslanian acquired the brand. With 15 years distributing niche houses including Xerjoff and Matiere Premiere through his company Europerfumes, Arslanian saw untapped potential in Commodity's model. He relaunched the brand while preserving its core ethos: simplicity as luxury, intention in every formula. In 2022, Commodity re-entered Sephora as the exclusive brick-and-mortar partner. By then, the brand had grown to $23 million in retail sales across 642 stores in 16 countries, reaching 30 markets through direct-to-consumer channels. The brand's cult-following scents like Gold, Rain, Mimosa, Moss, Wool and Nectar defined its editorial, gender-neutral identity. In 2023, Commodity opened its first flagship on Crosby Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, joining a storied block once home to Min New York, the multi-brand retailer where Europerfumes first introduced many of its brands to American audiences. The 1,000-square-foot space represented the brand's first dedicated retail environment and a new chapter in physical storytelling.
Craftsmanship
Commodity calls its perfumers Makers, a deliberate choice that speaks to the brand's hands-on, artisanal approach. Each fragrance is composed using quality ingredients selected for their ability to tell a precise olfactory story. The naming convention is instructive: Milk, Gold, Book, Paper, Rain, Mimosa, Wool, Nectar. Every name is a snapshot of what waits inside the bottle. The brand maintains a clean formulation philosophy. Fragrances are vegan, cruelty-free, and free from blacklisted ingredients. This is not incidental; it reflects a commitment to ethical production as part of the brand's identity. Commodity releases Discovery Kits, boxed collections of 2ml trial-sized samples available in every scent and Scent Space combination. The kit cost applies toward a full-size purchase, removing the risk from trying multiple intensities. The brand also produces a docuseries that pulls back the curtain on the creative process, sharing inspirations, innovations, and industry realities usually kept behind closed doors. This transparency extends the brand's philosophy into its communication, treating consumers as collaborators rather than passive buyers.
Design Language
The Commodity aesthetic is defined by opposition and balance. The logo uses two typefaces in permanent conversation: one serif, one sans-serif, a visual metaphor for the brand's dual nature as both accessible and artisanal. The color palette is strictly black and white, reinforcing themes of clarity, contrast, and intention. There is no decoration for its own sake. The bottle design follows this restraint. Clean lines, minimal labeling, and functional elegance let the fragrance itself be the focus. Scent-coded system elements help guide the experience: each fragrance's identity is immediately readable through its visual presentation, removing friction from discovery. The brand's SoHo flagship translates these principles into retail space. The 1,000-square-foot Crosby Street storefront uses neutral materials and considered lighting to create a calm environment where the fragrances and their stories take center stage. Everything from the packaging to the store layout reflects a single guiding principle: simplicity is luxury. The discovery kit packaging, candle vessels, and limited-edition candle shapes all speak the same visual language.
Philosophy
Fragrance is not one-size-fits-all. Commodity built its entire philosophy around this belief. The brand's Scent Space system acknowledges that people want different things from fragrance projection. Some prefer a scent that stays close to the skin, intimate and personal. Others want something that announces itself when they enter a room. Most fall somewhere in between. Rather than asking customers to accept a fragrance's default projection, Commodity lets them choose it. Each scent ships in three versions: Personal for subtle, close-to-body wear, Expressive for balanced room-filling presence, and Bold for amplified projection. This democratizes control over the sensory experience. Beyond projection, Commodity approaches fragrance creation with radical clarity and intention. Every scent tells a single, cohesive story communicated through its name, ingredients, and visual coding. The names reflect this: Milk, Gold, Book, Paper, Rain, Moss. There is nothing abstract or misleading. The aim is elemental and intuitive, stripping away pretense. The brand's dualistic identity extends to its visual language: a logo using opposing serif and sans-serif typefaces, a black-and-white palette that speaks to balance and contrast. Commodity designs for the modern wearer who values authenticity, transparency, and craft over exclusivity and gatekeeping.
Key Milestones
2013
Commodity launches via Kickstarter campaign, pioneering try-at-home sampling in niche perfumery.
2014
Brand expands from direct-to-consumer into global retail distribution.
2019
Vicken Arslanian acquires Commodity, bringing 15 years of niche fragrance distribution experience through Europerfumes.
2022
Commodity re-enters Sephora as exclusive brick-and-mortar partner, reaching 600-plus stores across 16 countries.
2023
First standalone flagship opens on Crosby Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.
2024
Brand reaches $23 million in cumulative retail sales across 30 direct-to-consumer markets.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
United States
Founded
2013
Heritage
13
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.1
Community sentiment