Heritage
A house, in its own words
Deep Field Aromatics launched in 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The company emerged from Russell Weiss’s long‑standing interest in fieldwork and plant chemistry. Weiss, who had previously curated fragrance collections for galleries, decided to produce his own line after years of sourcing rare botanicals during trips across the United States. The brand’s first release featured eight miniature bottles, a format that encouraged collectors to sample multiple scents before committing to a full size. By 2020 the line expanded to include stand‑alone fragrances such as Orange Blossom no.5 and Jade Fir, each named after a specific natural reference point. In 2021 the house opened a modest studio space in the West Loop, where blending, bottling and quality checks occur in a single room. That year also marked the introduction of a custom fragrance service, allowing museums and small businesses to commission scent pieces for exhibitions. The following year, Deep Field partnered with a Chicago‑based candle maker to extend its olfactory palette into ambient home products. Throughout its growth the brand has remained committed to small‑batch production, limiting each release to a few hundred bottles to preserve ingredient integrity. As of 2024 the catalogue includes ten core fragrances, each supported by a rotating series of limited‑edition scents that reflect seasonal foraging trips. The core belief at Deep Field Aromatics is that scent can act as a bridge between people and the environment. The brand emphasizes direct engagement with the natural world, choosing ingredients that are either wild‑harvested or cultivated with minimal chemical intervention. Weiss often describes his work as a dialogue with place, noting that each formula records a specific moment in a field, forest or garden. The house avoids synthetic shortcuts unless they serve a clear functional purpose, such as stabilizing a volatile note. Transparency guides the brand’s communication; ingredient lists appear on every label, and sourcing stories are shared on social media. Deep Field also values sustainability, opting for recyclable glass, reclaimed wood caps and refill programs where local retailers participate. The creative process starts with field notes, sketches of terrain and a sensory inventory of the location, then moves to a laboratory where the perfumer translates those observations into a balanced composition. This method reflects a broader commitment to authenticity, encouraging wearers to recall a particular landscape rather than a generic fragrance trend.