Heritage
A house, in its own words
There/Then was founded in 2020 by a small collective of fragrance enthusiasts based in Los Angeles, California. The founders, whose names appear in the brand’s early press releases, wanted to create a label that treated scent as a narrative device, a notion they first explored in a pop‑up exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in late 2020. The exhibition featured scent‑infused installations that responded to visitor movement, and it attracted attention from several independent retailers. In 2021 the brand secured a modest production partnership with a family‑owned distillery in Southern California, allowing it to move from experimental prototypes to market‑ready bottles. The following year, there/then launched its first full collection, a trio of fragrances that referenced California’s coastal flora. Critical response highlighted the brand’s willingness to blend unconventional ingredients, such as sage‑derived absolutes and wild poppy extracts, with classic base notes. By the end of 2022, the house introduced six new scents, each accompanied by a limited‑run artwork printed on the packaging. These releases cemented the label’s reputation for aligning fragrance with visual storytelling. In 2023 there/then opened a small boutique on Melrose Avenue, offering customers a tactile space to explore the scents alongside curated music playlists. The boutique’s design, a blend of reclaimed wood and brushed metal, reflects the brand’s commitment to sustainable materials. Throughout 2024 the house expanded its distribution to select boutique retailers in New York and London, while maintaining a direct‑to‑consumer channel through its website. The brand’s growth remains measured; each new launch is preceded by a research phase that includes field trips to California’s wildflower reserves and consultations with botanists. This disciplined approach has allowed there/then to retain a handcrafted ethos while reaching an audience that values authenticity over mass appeal. There/then treats fragrance as a chapter in a larger story. The house believes that scent can capture a feeling, a place, or a fleeting encounter, and it builds each perfume around a specific narrative prompt. Creative direction begins with a written vignette – for example, a sunrise over a desert canyon or a late‑summer garden party – and the perfumers translate that scene into a palette of raw materials. The brand values transparency, so it publishes ingredient lists and sources for each component on its website. Sustainability informs every decision; the house prefers ingredients that are either locally harvested or certified by third‑party organizations such as FairWild. There/then also limits batch sizes to reduce waste and to ensure that each bottle receives the same level of attention during filling and sealing. Community engagement plays a role, too. The label hosts seasonal workshops where participants can learn about scent composition and contribute ideas for future releases. By inviting input from both artists and everyday fragrance lovers, there/then blurs the line between creator and consumer. The result is a portfolio that feels intimate, because each perfume originates from a concrete story rather than an abstract marketing slogan. This narrative‑first mindset guides everything from scent selection to packaging, reinforcing the belief that a fragrance should be remembered for the moment it evokes, not just its longevity on the skin.