This Filipino perfumer bottles your memories in one-of-a-kind fragrances

Fragrances are more than just objects we use to smell good. Scent is infused in our memories, and bring them back as clearly as the day we experienced them. No one understands this better than Filipino perfumer Renato Lopena Jr. His passion for scent runs in the family, and he brings his own unique art form to life through his bespoke perfume brand Wren Atelier.

I’ve recently gotten sample sizes of Wren perfumes. Some of these he made for his initial line, and some he made for his clients. I am amazed by how distinct his creations are. Every single piece has a heart beat - it’s hard to describe it otherwise. I can only imagine how it’s like for those who commissioned the bespoke pieces!

I first heard about Rj when he designed the Whiff perfume line. I’ve been following his career since then, and so I thought I’d interview him over here at Project Vanity. Let’s get to know Rj!

What made you decide to be a perfumer?  

When I started working in our family business, I had to deal with fragrance and essential oils on a daily basis. This was when the passion for scents started. I also noticed that each perfume I buy had a certain emotion linked to it – I had a perfume when I was happy or when I was sad or when I felt confident. Because of this, I wanted to know more about scents and the art of perfume making.  

How did your education at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery influence you? 

 I really enjoyed the fragrance creation part of the course and felt that it was the career I wanted to have.  

Why do you say that creating perfumes is an art? 

 Creating perfumes is an art because you use scents to evoke a certain emotion or to tell a story. You have to understand each raw material and what can it bring to the composition. It’s like composing a song.  

Tell us about Wren Atelier. How and why did you start a bespoke perfume brand? What is the process and what are the challenges like when it comes to bottling someone's precious memories as a scent? 

Wren Atelier is my creative expression. It’s a local brand that aims to provide bespoke (custom made) scents and also offer small quantities of my original fragrance compositions. To avail of the bespoke scent service, I would need to know their scent inspirations, the fragrances they like, and the notes they like and dislike. After that, I create the composition for them. If they like the sample, they can have it bottled.  

It's always a challenge to be able to capture the direction or the concept the client is going for. I have to make sure that the ingredients I used and the composition is aligned to the request of the customer.  

What do you wish more Filipinos know about perfumes? 

 I wish more Filipinos would see perfumes not just a product, to make you smell good, but also an art form. 

What do you think of perfume copycats flooding the market right now? 

Personally, I think it provides options and access for consumers to enjoy perfumes. Let’s face it, not everyone has the budget and willingness to spend a certain amount of money on perfumes.  

What is your advice to Filipinos dreaming of creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind scents someday? 

Pursue the dream. Trust in your talent/skill and believe in yourself. Also keep in mind that there are a lot of technicalities to know and regulations to follow. You can’t just create and use the ingredients you want without considering if it’s safe to use.   

Find Rj on his Instagram account @thefilipinonose, where he talks about his work, and @wrenatelier to order your own bespoke perfume.