Unbeknownst to many, Chicago is a vibrant hub for independent fragrance brands. Enter our new blog series, Windy City Scents: Exploring Chicago’s Indie Fragrance Brands. We reached out to our favorite Chicago-based fragrance brands to uncover their origins and connection to Chicago. Our fourth installment features Mark and Nick Holmes, founders of Bianco Profumo.
Bianco fragrances are the life of the party. Utilizing loud, flamboyant nostalgia, Bianco Profumo fragrances are inspired by growing up Italian-American in Chicago during the 1980s and 1990s.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and explain your fragrance brand to anyone who might be unfamiliar?
A: We are a father and son team (Mark and Nick) who come from the food industry. We are used to fast paced environments and that is the energy we wanted to bring to Bianco Profumo. The name comes from our family's last name. The Bianco family has a rich tradition of cooking, baking, and entrepreneurship.
Q: What’s your fragrance origin story? Do you have any memories attached to a specific scent that made you fall in love with fragrance and think about fragrance differently?
A: Mark – The first fragrance I fell in love with was waking up on Sunday mornings and smelling my mom & grandma cooking.
Nick – I always liked the smell of the restaurants my parents took me to as a kid. Also a big fan of the smell of our local fests where it's a mix of funnel cakes, cigarettes, perfumes, and too many foods to list.
Q: How did the idea for your brand start? When did you know you wanted to make a career out of it?
A: Since we're born and raised in Chicago and the immediate surrounding area, we are used to fast paced flow. Especially being in the food industry. While we really like what we do, our goal has been to start our own brand. Initially we thought it would be food, but after some late night musings making design mockups, the idea for Bianco Profumo was born. It felt exciting and like the right move because we've always been into wearing fragrances.
Q: We’re proud to be one of very few niche fragrance retailers in the city. Tell us about your relationship to Chicago. How has the city of Chicago and the surrounding area influenced your fragrances?
A: Each scent is rooted in our family history and memories growing up in and around Chicago. So, while the scents aren't a direct representation of something specific to Chicago, the attitude and influence is there. Cherry Leather is probably our biggest representation of Chicago with its dose of spices and smooth leather. Like a leather jacket on a night out.
Q: Do you have a favorite Chicago scent? A certain food, place, etc.?
A: Mark – The smell of Gene & Jude's which my family owns and I worked at for many years. Also the smell of an old tavern. It smells like many good stories!
Nick – I like the smell of the lake. It's a little fishy and missing the salt of the ocean, but it's ours. I also like the smells inside the Field Museum. Smells like history!
Q: What notes would you say evoke the energy of Chicago?
A: Rain, car exhaust, a plethora of ethnic restaurants, and lake water.
Q: What has been the most unexpected challenge you’ve faced running an independent fragrance brand?
A: The hardest challenge has been trying to get placement in fragrance shops across the US. Many want a brand that's already popular or has five or more scents.
Q: If you could go back in time to when you first started out, what advice would you give yourself? Would you change anything?
A: We would have launched with a set of 5 fragrances instead of 3 so we could have a better variety for potential customers at launch. We're on our way though! We would have also got a few more details with our teams straight beforehand in both scent development and packaging and bottle production. You don't know what you don't know, but now that we do know, our next developments should move more smoothly.
Q: What do you think makes your brand different from other fragrance brands?
A: Our retro 80s/90s aesthetics is probably the largest differentiator. And not being from the beauty industry has us approaching some things differently too. We're regular guys, so it's kinda fun and funny to find our way in this new world. We don't want to copy any other brand or scent profile either.
Q: Is there a certain feeling or emotion you hope your fragrances evoke?
A: Energy, fun, and youthfulness.
Remix – Fun summer vibes.
Neroli Pomodoro – Sophisticated and refined.
Cherry Leather – Bold confidence.
Acqua Gardenia – Refreshing happiness.
Q: Why do you think fragrance makes such a great tool for self expression?
A: People pay attention to smell just as much as how you look. When you get an intense reaction from a stranger saying how good you smell, it's such a confidence booster. So when you need the right thing to really pull your look together, reach for the right fragrance. A Bianco fragrance.
Q: What’s a fragrance trend or note that you’re excited about right now?
A: We are always excited for neroli and leather notes, but aren't overly invested in trends since they shift within months. Classic notes are classic for a reason and if we can use them well, we're happy. Neroli is one of those notes that may seem unusual to a newcomer, but once you get what it's all about, you're in love.
Q: What do you think people should know about the niche fragrance community in the midwest?
A: I wish they'd give us more attention because New York and Los Angeles are overdone. There are a lot of great people we have met who we otherwise wouldn't have the pleasure of knowing. Lots of creativity and curiosity.
Q: What's next for your brand?
A: Scent #5 – Caffè Amaro! We are excited to launch later this year as it's a spicy companion to our Cherry Leather. And they layer together really well too. It verges on gourmand with its hazelnut and espresso notes, but the spices give it a really interesting lift.
The complete Bianco Profumo line is available now at Merz Apothecary in Chicago, Illinois.
