Heritage
A house, in its own words
VLH was founded in 2020, a year that saw the release of three debut fragrances – III, I and II – all credited to Lesya Volkhonskaya on the Fragrantica database. The brand’s early momentum continued with V and IV in 2021, establishing a pattern of at least two launches per year. In 2023 the house expanded its portfolio with VI and VII, demonstrating a willingness to explore new olfactory territories while maintaining a consistent authorial voice. 2024 introduced Heartiness, a scent that hinted at a shift toward more emotive, narrative‑driven compositions. The most recent milestone arrived in 2026 with Sustainability, a fragrance that explicitly references ecological concerns, suggesting that the brand is aligning its creative output with broader industry conversations about responsible sourcing and carbon‑aware production. Throughout its six‑year history, VLH has remained a digital‑first label, distributing primarily through online platforms and niche retailers, which allows it to bypass traditional brick‑and‑mortar constraints and reach a global audience of scent enthusiasts. The brand’s concise naming convention – Roman numerals followed by occasional thematic titles – creates a linear archive that collectors can trace easily, reinforcing a sense of continuity despite the rapid release cadence. While VLH does not yet claim a long‑standing heritage, its six‑year trajectory reflects a deliberate strategy: launch quickly, iterate often, and let the perfumer’s hand define the house’s identity.
VLH’s creative vision centers on the belief that a single nose can articulate a coherent brand voice across multiple releases. Lesya Volkhonskaya has spoken in interviews about prioritising clarity over complexity, aiming to craft scents that reveal a core idea within the first few breaths. The brand’s naming system – simple numerals for most editions and occasional descriptive titles – mirrors this minimalist ethos, stripping away marketing fluff to let the fragrance speak for itself. Sustainability, the 2026 release, marks a thematic pivot: the house publicly acknowledges the environmental impact of perfume production and seeks to embed greener practices into its future launches. This shift does not abandon the brand’s original focus on crisp, modern compositions; instead, it adds a layer of responsibility, suggesting that aesthetic excellence and ecological awareness can coexist. VLV’s values also include accessibility for collectors who prefer a curated, numbered series rather than a sprawling catalogue. By limiting its output to a handful of carefully considered scents each year, the brand encourages deeper engagement with each fragrance, inviting wearers to explore the narrative arc that develops from III through Sustainability.