The Heritage
The Story of ONNO
ONNO Collection is a Belgian fragrance house that creates scented experiences for both skin and home. Founded by Ilse Vandeputte, the brand blends her two decades of perfume‑specialist work with a travel‑inspired palette. Each offering arrives in a hand‑blown glass vessel, and the scents are blended in Grasse, France, the historic centre of perfume making. The line includes both classic‑style eau de parfums and scented candles, all positioned as refined, everyday accessories for scent lovers.
Heritage
Ilse Vandeputte began her career in 1994 as a perfume specialist, a role she held until 2015. During those years she refined her olfactory skills while working with a range of European fragrance houses. In 2015 she left the corporate environment and, drawing on more than 25 years of experience, launched ONNO Collection in Belgium. The brand’s first fragrance appeared in 2016, introducing a minimalist aesthetic that paired modern glass design with traditional French blending techniques. By 2022 ONNO expanded its catalogue dramatically, releasing a suite of ten fragrances such as Secret Garden, One & Only, and Mystic Oud, all formulated in Grasse. The same year the company added scented candles to its portfolio, extending the brand’s sensorial reach into interior spaces. In 2023 the line entered new retail channels across Europe, and a partnership with local artisans in Grasse was announced to ensure that each batch continues to be crafted by hand. Throughout its growth, ONNO has maintained a focus on personal storytelling, encouraging customers to associate each scent with a memory or place visited by the founder. The brand’s evolution reflects a steady commitment to quality and to the idea that fragrance can be both intimate and universally approachable.
Craftsmanship
Every ONNO fragrance begins with a brief written by Ilse Vandeputte, who outlines the emotional tone and the geographic inspiration. The brief travels to Grasse, where a small team of master blenders combines natural absolutes, essential oils and select synthetics under controlled temperature conditions. Ingredients such as Bulgarian rose, Moroccan ambergris, and rare sandalwood are sourced from farms that practice sustainable harvesting, a detail confirmed by supplier disclosures on the brand’s website. After the initial formulation, the blend undergoes a three‑month maturation period in stainless steel tanks, allowing the notes to integrate fully. Quality control includes gas chromatography analysis to verify concentration levels and sensory panels that evaluate balance and longevity. Once approved, the perfume is transferred to hand‑blown glass bottles crafted in a Belgian workshop; each vessel is inspected for uniform thickness and sealed with a brushed metal cap. For candles, the wax blend is poured at a precise temperature to ensure even scent diffusion, and the wicks are trimmed to a standard length to achieve consistent burn time. The final products are packaged in recyclable cardboard with minimal printed embellishment, reflecting the brand’s understated aesthetic while protecting the fragrance during transport.
Design Language
ONNO’s visual language mirrors its scent philosophy: clean lines, muted colour palettes and a focus on material quality. Bottles are cylindrical, made from clear mouth‑blown glass that showcases the liquid’s hue, and they sit on a brushed aluminium base that adds a subtle weight. Labels are typographically simple, using a sans‑serif font in black or charcoal against a white background, allowing the bottle itself to become the focal point. Candle containers follow the same design language, with frosted glass that diffuses light softly when lit. The brand’s photography often features natural textures—stone, wood, linen—paired with the product, reinforcing the connection between scent and place. Marketing imagery avoids overt glamour, instead presenting the items in lived‑in settings such as a kitchen counter, a reading nook or a travel‑inspired vignette. This restrained visual approach has been highlighted in independent design blogs that note the brand’s “quiet elegance” and its departure from the more ornate perfume packaging common in the market.
Philosophy
ONNO’s creative vision centres on translating travel memories into scent narratives. Ilse Vandeputte describes her process as listening to the places she visits, then distilling those impressions into aromatic ingredients. The brand values transparency, sourcing raw materials from recognised growers in France, Italy and the Balkans, and it avoids synthetic shortcuts whenever a natural alternative exists. Sustainability informs packaging decisions; the glass bottles are produced by Belgian artisans using recycled material, and the candle waxes are blended from soy and beeswax. ONNO also positions scent as a daily ritual rather than a luxury add‑on, encouraging users to integrate fragrance into ordinary moments such as reading, cooking or unwinding at home. The brand’s communication favours clear, story‑driven language over hyperbole, inviting wearers to create their own personal chapters with each spritz or burn.
Key Milestones
1994
Ilse Vandeputte begins career as a perfume specialist, gaining experience across European fragrance houses.
2015
Vandeputte leaves corporate perfume work and establishes ONNO Collection in Belgium.
2016
Launch of the first ONNO fragrance, introducing the brand’s minimalist bottle design and Grasse‑based blending.
2022
Release of a ten‑fragrance line including Secret Garden, One & Only, Mystic Oud and others; introduction of scented candles.
2023
Expansion into additional European retail channels and collaboration with Grasse artisans for hand‑blown glass production.
2024
Announcement of a sustainability initiative focused on recycled glass and responsibly sourced natural ingredients.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Belgium
Founded
2015
Heritage
11
Years active
Collection
2
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.3
Community sentiment