Heritage
A house, in its own words
Modern Magic emerged from Slate Brands, a Brooklyn beauty incubator that began operations around 2019 and has built a reputation for partnering with creators and influencers across social media. In early 2024, Slate Brands announced its first in‑house fragrance line, Modern Magic, after two years of development, according to a LinkedIn post by Judah Abraham, a co‑founder of Slate Brands. The launch marked the incubator’s expansion from cosmetics into scent, leveraging its existing creator network to co‑create fragrance concepts. The brand’s debut collection arrived later that year, featuring four scents—Naked Beauty, Muse Magic, Melted Magic, and Midnight Magic—all released in 2024. The initial rollout was supported by a social‑media campaign that highlighted the idea of “everyday magic, bottled to keep,” a phrase that appears on the brand’s Instagram profile. By 2025, Modern Magic had begun to experiment with limited‑edition drops, collaborating with visual artists to design bespoke packaging for special releases. In April 2026, the brand posted a behind‑the‑scenes video on Instagram describing itself as a “story‑driven fragrance brand, a portal into memory, emotion, and imagination.” Throughout its brief history, Modern Magic has maintained a focus on collaborative creation, drawing on the insights of its creator partners while keeping production anchored in New York City workshops. The brand’s growth reflects a broader trend of niche fragrance houses that prioritize narrative and community over traditional luxury hierarchies. The creative vision of Modern Magic centers on translating ordinary experiences into scented narratives. The brand describes its mission as capturing the small, enchanting moments that punctuate busy lives, a concept that guides both scent development and marketing language. Ethical sourcing is a core value; the company states that it selects raw materials that meet responsible standards, avoiding ingredients linked to environmental harm. Collaboration lies at the heart of the process: creators from fashion, music, and digital media contribute personal stories that serve as brief briefs for each fragrance. These briefs are then interpreted by a team of perfumers who translate the narrative into a formula, ensuring that the final product reflects the original sentiment. Transparency is another pillar; Modern Magic provides ingredient lists on its website and encourages consumers to learn about the origins of each note. The brand also emphasizes inclusivity, positioning its scents as gender‑neutral and suitable for a wide audience, thereby challenging traditional fragrance classifications. By anchoring its philosophy in storytelling, ethical practice, and collaborative creation, Modern Magic seeks to make perfume a shared cultural experience rather than a solitary luxury.