Heritage
A house, in its own words
Tru Fragrance traces its origins to 1969, when Bernie Dworin, a traveling men's wear salesman, began selling perfumes door to door. He called the venture Romane Fragrances, building relationships with the boutique buyers and independent retailers who shaped his early client base. Those grassroots origins gave Dworin an instinct for what consumers actually wanted to wear, a sensibility that steered the company through decades of industry change. Over time, Romane evolved into Tru Fragrance, expanding from distribution into full-scale design and manufacturing. The company built a reputation as a go-to partner for brands that needed fragrance creation handled with care and precision. Their portfolio grew to include private-label collections, licensed fragrance lines, and proprietary brands developed in-house. A pivotal moment came with the acquisition of Lake & Skye, a mission-driven clean fragrance house founded in 2015 by Courtney Somer. The move signaled Tru Fragrance's commitment to wellness-forward scent, blending their manufacturing capability with a brand rooted in mindfulness and intentional ingredients. They also partnered with Free People on 1809, the retailer's first fragrance collection, bringing boutique sensibility to a national rollout. Through every chapter, Tru Fragrance has stayed family-aligned and privately held, a rarity in an industry shaped by consolidation. Tru Fragrance approaches perfume as both an art and a business discipline. The company sees scent as one of the most direct ways a brand can express identity, and they treat each project as a chance to capture something essential about the partner they are working with. That philosophy runs through every stage, from initial concept sessions with founders and creative directors to the final production runs that bring a juice to shelf. What sets Tru apart is a willingness to operate across categories and price points without losing a consistent standard of quality. Whether developing an accessible body mist for a mass retailer or a niche-leaning eau de parfum for a wellness brand, the same creative rigor applies. The team believes fragrance should feel considered, never generic. Their clean and conscious fragrance work, anchored by brands like Lake & Skye, reflects a belief that ingredient transparency and sustainability are no longer optional. Consumers want to know what they are putting on their skin, and Tru builds those expectations into the development process from day one. The result is a house that values adaptability, partnership, and long-term thinking over chasing trends.