Green is Name, Green in Game: Perfumer Hiram Green

by: Elena Vosnaki

As part of our series of interviews with entrepreneurs in the perfumery business I chose to interview a natural perfumer who has relocated in the Netherlands, Mr. Hiram Green, whom many perfume lovers got to know through his first "hit," the lush white floral Moon Bloom. The stunning effect is rendered more surprising by the fact that the composition is an all-natural, yet performs without any of the mushy vegetal feel that feels so weird to generations brought up on synthetics. Kudos to Hiram for that, asMoon Bloom caught many tuberose-phobes' heart, yet without hiding the aspects that make the fragrant flower what it is.

Hiram Green is currently launching Shangri La, his second fragrance, a floral chypre which manages to smell very different from his previous offering. Questions began to collect and here we are, discussing on how an artisan perfumer works and operates as a viable business.

Elena Vosnaki: Shangri La is your second fragrance after Moon Bloom which was met with critical acclaim. How did the inspiration for this second fragrance come? It's quite different from Moon Bloom. [The fragrance re-interprets the classic Coty Chypre accord from 1917 and is named after the fictional land inLost Horizon by James Hilton.]

Hiram Green: The starting point for Shangri La was an image in my head. WithShangri La I began by combining various fragrant materials with this image in my head. Eventually a Chypre accord began to develop. As the starting point for each fragrance was very different, I suppose this could have an influence on the final scent.

EV: As a natural and artisanal perfumer what is your greatest challenge: raw material supply? outsourcing? compliance with regulations? viable business model? distribution channels? something else?

HG: For me it would probably have to be a viable business model. I am not as business minded as I ought to be. Other perfumers may have other challenges. I do not think it is the same for every perfumer.

EV: Small entrepreneurs have experienced a renaissance in the field of perfumery with the emergence of niche. Now that this market share is over-populated, how does one differentiate themselves?

HG: I do not think that the niche perfume market is over-populated. The niche perfume market is growing and that is great. However, it does not compare to the sheer scale of the established mainstream or mass perfume markets.

Nevertheless, I feel the key to any successful business, niche or mass, is to differentiate. One of the ways we have differentiated ourselves is by making entirely natural perfumes.

EV: Well, in what concerns small artisanal brands that's certainly true; less so with niche brands who have now branched out and leaped over. To revert to you, Hiram: do you have a mentor, a favorite collaborator, a friend in values?

HG: I do not have a mentor, I wish I did. I am entirely self-taught. It would be great to be able to visit the perfume studios of some of the world’s most well-known perfumers and see how they work.

EV: Which perfume do you admire above all? Which do you dislike above all?

HG: This is actually a hard question. I am not sure if I can answer it.

EV: Indeed it's a hard question! So, anyway, you operate based in the Netherlands. How is the European market fit for a small niche brand? And what geographical division do your fragrances share?

HG: I think it is different for every fragrance brand. Different countries in Europe like different styles of perfumes. So far we have been very lucky and our perfumes have been very well received by all our stockists.

EV: A prediction for the future of perfumery?

HG: I think that emphasis will eventually shift and the niche perfume market will become the new mainstream and mass perfume markets. Designer and celebrity-endorsed fragrances will become less and less of a focus. It is a change that is not going to happen overnight. Of course, I would also like to see more natural perfumes.

EV: Thank you Hiram for sharing with me your insights!

Hiram Green's site is found on hiramgreen.com