The Heritage
The Story of Zoologist
Zoologist Perfumes transforms the animal kingdom into wearable art. Founded in Toronto in 2013 by Victor Wong, the brand captures the essence of creatures from Dragonfly to T-Rex in unusual, beautiful fragrances that challenge convention. Each scent reimagines an animal's spirit, offering everything from playful and fruity to bold and shocking. Winner of multiple industry awards, Zoologist has grown from a hobby into a global niche fragrance phenomenon, shipping thousands of bottles annually while staying true to its playful, ethical ethos.
Heritage
The Zoologist story begins with a hotel room. Victor Wong, a self-described perfume enthusiast and active participant in fragrance communities, experienced fine toiletries during a stay that sent him spiraling into the world of niche perfumery. What started as a casual hobby soon became an obsession. In 2013, Wong founded Zoologist Perfumes from Toronto, initially juggling the brand alongside a regular day job. The business was personal from the start. Wong handled nearly everything himself, from formulation briefs to customer conversations, and even shared photos of his cat on social media. The brand gained momentum steadily, fueled by fragrance influencer communities and word of mouth. By 2020, seven years in, Zoologist had released 21 fragrances with more in the pipeline. The pandemic era proved transformative; niche fragrance influencers on TikTok and Instagram propelled the brand into rapid growth. Production scaled from a basement operation to roughly 20,000 bottles annually. Today, Zoologist remains headquartered in Toronto, though the brand ships globally to dozens of countries. Wong continues as founder and creative director, maintaining hands-on involvement across the business while collaborating with a rotating roster of independent perfumers.
Craftsmanship
Zoologist functions as a creative platform, bringing together independent perfumers from around the world under a shared vision. The brand has collaborated with talents including Prin Lomros, who has created the most fragrances for the house, as well as Chris Bartlett, Christian Carbonnel, Celine Barel, Antonio Gardoni, Tomoo Inaba, and many others. Wong acts as creative director, issuing briefs inspired by specific animals and giving perfumers substantial creative freedom to interpret them. The process is collaborative and often iterative. Some fragrances require dozens of revisions before approval. For Squid, a bestseller currently selling 300 to 500 bottles per month, Wong and the perfumer went through approximately 30 modifications before settling on the final formula. The brand sources materials for quality and ethical considerations, relying on synthetic musks to avoid animal-derived ingredients. Each fragrance undergoes development with attention to construction, performance, and uniqueness. The brand does not rush releases. Some concepts are abandoned entirely if the result does not meet the creative standard, as happened with an Otter concept that never launched.
Design Language
Zoologist's visual identity is unmistakable. The brand presents its fragrances through richly illustrated bottles, each featuring an animal face rendered with human characteristics and striking detail. These illustrations give every release a distinct personality and contribute to the brand's cult following on social media. The packaging uses clean, minimal design that lets the artwork and fragrance names carry the narrative. Creatures like Panda, Bee, Chameleon, and Sloth each receive their own visual world, reflecting the emotional tone of the scent within. The brand's website maintains a premium, uncluttered aesthetic, prioritizing the fragrances and their stories. Zoologist's social media presence, managed largely by Wong himself, adds a human touch through playful interactions, cat photos, and direct engagement with the fragrance community. The overall effect is a brand that feels simultaneously artistic and approachable, where high-concept perfumery meets genuine warmth and humor.
Philosophy
Zoologist operates on a simple premise: animals make extraordinary perfume. The brand takes inspiration from the behaviors, habitats, and distinct identities of creatures, translating them into olfactory narratives that are sometimes beautiful, sometimes unsettling, and always memorable. This philosophy rejects the safe and the predictable. Each fragrance in the collection occupies its own territory, from the delicate aquatic notes of Squid to the primal intensity of T-Rex. The brand embraces provocation. Consumer reactions range from declaring certain scents completely unwearable to praising them as pinnacle examples of niche craftsmanship. That polarizing quality is not an accident. Zoologist values creative honesty over commercial appeal. The brand also commits to ethical perfumery, replacing natural animal-derived musks entirely with synthetic alternatives. This stance lets wearers enjoy the richness of animalic notes without harm. For Wong, Zoologist is a love letter to the natural world and its creatures, filtered through the lens of artistic perfumery.
Key Milestones
2013
Victor Wong founds Zoologist Perfumes in Toronto, launching it as a personal hobby alongside his day job.
2014
Early releases including Beaver and Bee establish the brand's animal-themed creative framework.
2016
The brand expands its roster of independent perfumers, with collaborations featuring Chris Bartlett and Cristiano Canali.
2019
Zoologist reaches double digits in fragrance releases, with around 15 scents in the permanent collection.
2020
Social media growth on TikTok and Instagram triggers rapid demand increase; the brand ships over 20,000 bottles annually.
2023
New releases including Northern Cardinal push the collection past 40 fragrances, cementing Zoologist's position in the global niche market.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Canada
Founded
2013
Heritage
13
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
3.4
Community sentiment