The Heritage
The Story of Fischersund
Fischersund is a Reykjavik‑based family perfumery that blends scent with visual art. Housed in a black‑painted townhouse built in 1875, the collective invites visitors to explore olfactory narratives that echo Iceland’s coast and sky. Each release arrives as a numbered edition, encouraging collectors to trace a personal scent journey. The modest size of the operation lets the sibling team experiment with rare botanicals, mineral accords and unconventional formats such as spray‑on oils.
Heritage
The building that now houses Fischersund dates back to 1875, making it one of Reykjavik’s oldest wooden houses. Originally a merchant’s residence, the dark‑painted façade later served as a music studio for Icelandic artist Jónsi Birgisson. In 2017 four siblings—Inga, Jónsi, Sigurrós and Lilja—joined their father Birgis to launch a perfumery and art collective within those walls. Their first numbered fragrance, Fischersund No. 23, arrived that same year, marking the start of a series that would grow to include over a dozen scents by 2024. The brand’s early years focused on translating the stark Icelandic landscape into scent, using local moss, sea spray and volcanic mineral notes. In 2019 the release of Fischersund No. 8 attracted attention from niche‑fragrance blogs for its blend of Arctic thyme and smoked birch. A collaboration in 2021 produced Útilykt Spray – 66°Norður x, a limited‑run aerosol that referenced the country’s northern latitude. 2022 saw the launch of Flotholt, a candle‑inspired perfume that paired Icelandic birch sap with ambergris‑free synthetics, reflecting the collective’s growing interest in sustainable alternatives. By 2024 the Faux Flora series (No. 1 and No. 3) demonstrated a shift toward botanical abstraction, using lab‑crafted aromachemicals to evoke imagined flora. Throughout its history, Fischersund has remained a family‑run operation, with each new scent reflecting the siblings’ evolving artistic dialogue and the house’s storied past.
Craftsmanship
Production takes place in a modest studio behind the storefront, where the siblings hand‑mix each batch using a combination of natural extracts and high‑grade aroma chemicals. Ingredients such as Icelandic moss, seaweed oil and reindeer lichen are harvested under permits that limit impact on fragile ecosystems. For mineral accords the team grinds volcanic ash into a fine powder before blending it with carrier oils, a technique that preserves the stone’s raw texture. Quality control involves a weekly sensory panel composed of the family members and a rotating group of local artists, who evaluate balance, longevity and emotional resonance. Bottles are filled by hand using glassware sourced from a Danish manufacturer known for its low‑iron, crystal‑clear containers. Labels are printed on recycled paper with soy‑based inks, and each bottle receives a hand‑stamped number in the house’s original typeface. The collective avoids large‑scale automation, believing that tactile involvement at every stage preserves the intimate character of each perfume. In 2022 the team introduced a small‑batch solvent‑free extraction method for birch sap, reducing waste and highlighting the plant’s natural sweetness without synthetic enhancers.
Design Language
The visual identity of Fischersund mirrors the stark elegance of its historic house. The storefront features a black façade punctuated by narrow windows that reveal soft amber lighting, creating a nocturnal ambience reminiscent of Icelandic winter nights. Bottle design relies on simple, cylindrical glass with a matte finish, capped by brushed metal that bears the house’s handwritten number. Typography on the label uses a clean sans‑serif typeface derived from the original signage of the 1875 building, reinforcing the link between past and present. Promotional imagery often pairs the perfume with monochrome photographs of Reykjavik’s harbor, volcanic rock formations or abstract paintings created by the siblings. Seasonal installations in the shop showcase installations of driftwood, moss and projected light patterns, turning the retail space into an ever‑changing gallery. The brand’s social media feed continues this aesthetic, favoring muted colour palettes, close‑up textures of raw ingredients and occasional sketches of scent concepts, all presented without overt marketing language.
Philosophy
Fischersund treats fragrance as a visual medium, aiming to paint scenes with scent rather than merely mask odor. The siblings describe their work as an extension of the house’s artistic legacy, turning the space into a laboratory for sensory experiments. They prioritize authenticity, sourcing ingredients that echo Iceland’s natural extremes—cold ocean mist, volcanic ash, wild arctic herbs. Sustainability informs their choices; the collective favors locally harvested botanicals and avoids animal‑derived musks. Each fragrance is released as a limited numbered edition, a decision rooted in the belief that scarcity encourages deeper personal connection. The brand also embraces collaboration with visual artists, often pairing a new scent with a gallery installation in the storefront. This interdisciplinary approach reflects a conviction that scent, sight and sound can co‑exist in a single experience, inviting visitors to linger and contemplate rather than simply purchase.
Key Milestones
1875
The townhouse that now houses Fischersond is constructed, later becoming a music studio for Jónsi Birgisson.
2017
Four siblings—Inga, Jónsi, Sigurrós and Lilja—along with their father Birgis, launch Fischersund as a family‑run perfumery and art collective.
2019
Release of Fischersund No. 8, noted for its Arctic thyme and smoked birch composition.
2021
Útilykt Spray – 66°Norður x debuts, referencing Iceland’s northern latitude in an aerosol format.
2022
Flotholt launches, blending birch sap with ambergris‑free synthetics and introducing a new solvent‑free extraction technique.
2024
Faux Flora series (No. 1 and No. 3) arrives, using lab‑crafted aromachemicals to suggest imagined flora.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Iceland
Founded
2017
Heritage
9
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.2
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm