Fragrance house

Charenton Macerations

Founded by Douglas Bender in 2012, Charenton Macerations is a Brooklyn-founded independent fragrance brand created as an olfactive collective. Its work centers on fragrance storytelling beyond conventional gender and structural expectations, while Bender’s creative approach draws on historical research, including investigations of ancient Minoan and Mycenaean aromatic materials, alongside professional training connected with Quest International. In 2021, Bender described the brand as queer-owned and operated. The brand’s first fragrance, Christopher Street, was created with perfumer Ralf Schwieger of Mane USA and named a finalist in the Independent Category of the 2014 Art and Olfaction Awards. Built around Christopher Street’s history, Stonewall, and challenges to conventional fragrance gender categories, it is a defining fragrance example for the brand. The second release, Asphalt Rainbow, was developed with perfumer Cécile Hua and took street art as its central conceptual source, extending the brand’s historical and cultural storytelling approach.