Fragrance house

Pomare's Stolen Perfume

Pomare’s Stolen Perfume was launched in 2015 by Rachel Deane Binder, who named it for her ancestor, Queen Pomare IV of Tahiti. The name also commemorates Tahiti’s struggle for independence and the displacement of people, lands, and flowers. Based in Venice, California, the brand remains closely identified with Binder as its founder, owner, and perfumer. Her path into perfumery grew from childhood in Northern Maine, her maternal Tahitian heritage, and an early practice of making tinctures and blending oils and resins. Her work as a wine director and sommelier shaped the brand’s attention to terroir, regional and seasonal variation, and small-production perfume made with minimal intervention. Its “Living Perfume” method applies champagne- and winemaking techniques to whole natural ingredients, linking scent with place, soil, ecology, and cultural memory. Rasa received the 2020 Aftel Award for Handmade Perfume, with Binder credited as perfumer, and brought the brand international attention through a natural whole-fruit passionfruit accord made from local fruit. In 2020, the brand also received the International Sustainable Brand of the Year award for work involving upcycled redwood; its Piano Tuner fragrance uses foraged and upcycled redwood.