Heritage
A house, in its own words
Nomaterra traces its origins to May 2012, when Agnieszka Burnett and Benjamin Burnett launched their fragrance line from New York City. Before entering perfumery, Burnett held a position as beauty editor at Glamour Magazine, where she developed expertise in beauty formulation. She also trained as a chemist, skills she later applied to creating fragrance compositions. Her husband Benjamin Burnett joined her in the venture as co-founder. The couple described themselves as self-taught perfumers in their brand materials. Their partnership combined Burnett's editorial background and scientific training with what the brand characterized as a shared passion for travel and exploration. The name Nomaterra itself reflects the founders' philosophy, blending the Latin words for nomad and earth to express their location-driven creative approach. The company established itself in the niche fragrance market by offering scents named after specific destinations, beginning with releases like Miami Orange Blossom and East Hampton Atlantic White Cedar in 2013. The Nomaterra approach centers on translating the sensory experience of travel into wearable fragrance. Each scent in the collection corresponds to a specific geographic location, inviting wearers to connect fragrance with memory and wanderlust. Burnett has described how her lifelong journeys around the globe inspired her to create perfumes that evoke those destinations, transforming places into olfactory experiences. The brand positions itself for consumers who view fragrance as an extension of identity and lifestyle, rather than merely a beauty product. The founders reportedly wanted their fragrances to serve as a form of memory triggers, allowing wearers to carry the essence of a beloved location. This philosophy extends to their choice of ingredient combinations, which often feature botanicals and notes associated with the landscapes they reference, from coastal florals to inland greens and florals characteristic of American regions.