Heritage
A house, in its own words
Carlen Parfums emerged from a partnership between founder Jason Gnewikow and the Brooklyn creative agency Athletics, which developed the product, business, and brand from the ground up. The project drew inspiration from Gnewikow's travels and interests, including botany, fashion, psychology, music, literature, and religious tradition. The name 'Carlen' itself is a German feminine given name that translates to 'free man,' a contradiction the founders built the entire identity around. The house launched its first collection in 2015, releasing six fragrances at once: Butch Femme, Aztec Noir, Metals, Men of Blame, Viridescent, and Coco Flor. Press attention followed quickly, with interiors and lifestyle publication House Beautiful profiling Gnewikow and the brand inside his modernist, monochromatic brownstone in Brooklyn. Since that initial release, Carlen Parfums has expanded its offerings with various sizes, including 100ml, 50ml, and small set formats of three 10ml bottles grouped by theme. The house remains independently operated out of Brooklyn, with Athletics continuing as its creative partner across product, branding, and communications. The core philosophy of Carlen Parfums centers on dissolving the conventions that tie fragrance to masculine or feminine categories. The brand takes its name from the German word 'Carlen,' a feminine form that means 'free man,' and positions this linguistic contradiction as a creative brief. Rather than producing separate men's and women's lines, Carlen builds 'genderless infusions,' compositions meant to be worn by anyone drawn to a particular scent rather than by anyone fitting a marketing demographic. The founders pull references broadly: travel, botany, fashion, psychology, music, literature, and religious custom all feed into the house's creative language. This cross-disciplinary approach gives each fragrance a concept denser than a simple top-heart-base pyramid. The brand treats scent as cultural commentary, with names like Butch Femme and Men of Blame inviting wearers to think about identity while they spray. Carlen's small catalog reflects a deliberate restraint, a focus on curation rather than volume.