Heritage
A house, in its own words
Cha Haeyoung spent her 20s and early 30s working in the art and fashion industries before founding Nonfiction in 2019 from Seoul. Her background in art curation shaped an approach to fragrance that treats scent as a medium for storytelling rather than simply a luxury product. The decision to call the brand Nonfiction came from a desire to honor the quiet, overlooked narratives of daily life. According to interviews, Cha launched the brand as a reminder to slow down, a reaction against the acceleration she observed in both the beauty industry and contemporary culture at large. The company began as a fragrance house and gradually expanded into broader beauty and lifestyle categories while maintaining its focus on sensory storytelling. From Seoul, Nonfiction developed a loyal following for its atmospheric, introspective approach to scent. The brand's growth happened largely through organic word-of-mouth rather than large-scale marketing campaigns, with customers drawn to its distinctive visual identity and unusual fragrance concepts. In 2025, Nonfiction opened its first North American retail location in New York City, expanding beyond its Korean base. Under Cha's leadership, the brand has actively sought to distinguish itself from the broader K-beauty phenomenon, aiming instead for recognition as an independent creative voice in the global fragrance landscape.
Nonfiction frames fragrance as a tool for self-discovery rather than mere sensory pleasure or status signaling. The brand describes its mission as encouraging moments of actualization, realization, and connection, inviting wearers to engage more deeply with their inner lives. Rather than leading with fragrance families or ingredient hierarchies, Nonfiction presents each scent as an exploration of a specific emotional territory. The collection includes fragrances named IRIS CONCRETE, THE ROSE, and BOIS D'YLANG, among others, each representing an atmospheric impression rather than a traditional perfumery category. The brand resists the grand narratives common in the fragrance industry, opting instead for intimate, personal storytelling. Cha Haeyoung has spoken about perfume as a form of art, bringing a curator's sensibility to how Nonfiction develops and presents its work. This approach treats scent as a medium for introspection and genuine connection, prioritizing meaning over marketing spectacle. The brand's philosophy positions fragrance as a quiet companion to everyday moments, not a performance or a luxury accessory.
