I’ll always fondly remember the introductory email that Byson Ammons sent me in the fall of 2023. As an independent perfumer, he had just launched The Alloy Studio, a fragrance line he founded in New York City with Eddie, his life partner and creative director for the brand.
He came across my blog and reached out, asking if I might be interested in trying their work. I was immediately taken by the authenticity, passion, and warmth that radiated from the message, and, upon further research, I was truly impressed with the brand’s concept and visuals.
The Alloy studio was named after the founders’ favorite precious metals, gold and silver, which combine to create a dazzling “alloy”. To embody this concept, the fragrances and candles are contained in unique gold (Bryson’s favorite) and silver (Eddie’s favorite) bottles and vessels.
Bryson and Edie are driven by their love for perfumery, jewelry, and design. Their esthetics are intentionally maximalist and flashy, as they strive to deliver exceptional experiences to discerning fragrance lovers who connect with their vision. Their concept and ideas come through in every detail of their bold packaging, from the striking perfume bottles and candle vessels to the boxes lined with orange faux fur.
Their collection includes two fragrances and two candles, and I can’t wait to tell you all about them.
I’ll start with the two fragrances – full-bodied, smooth, and enveloping creations, featuring fruity notes that brighten the sleek and thoughtfully blended compositions.
Silver Haze (silver bottle) features a haze of gauzy musk with a unique blend of red berries, iris, cannabis, and cocoa. The berries are sweet and juicy, enlivening the fragrant cloud created by the other notes. In the newer version, Bryson added a more generous dose of strawberries, which comes through as vivid and playful. Imagine you’re dancing in a disco from the nineties. You’re wearing fruity lip gloss and popping strawberry candy – the scent of cigarette smoke drifting around you.
Elements: trashy strawberry perfume. cannabis sativa. chocolate powder. silvery ambroxan. delicate iris. pink spices.
Idyllic (gold bottle) highlights baked notes of pineapple and blood orange, which blend to create a radiant glow. The herbaceous character of mint adds freshness to the warm fruits and the golden amber backbone. In the reformulated version of the fragrance, Bryson amped up the pineapple and adjusted the blood orange, enhancing the tropical essence of the fragrance even more. This is the kind of perfume you’d wear while watching the sunrise on a summer’s day.
Elements: juicy blood orange. sticky pineapple. warming ginger. cool spearmint. boozy amber.
The two candles have a clean and even burn, and an elegant and cozy throw.
DND (silver vessel) smells like a combination of bubbly champagne, citruses, and light spices. I’ve enjoyed burning it on relaxing Saturday mornings or when I needed a boost of energy before work on a Monday.
Elements: ripe yuzu. sugary musk. clean mint. green terpenes. refreshing ginger.
Solace (gold vessel) smells like a delectable cup of golden milk (rich, sweet, and lightly spicy) sipped in a coffee shop. The rich and cozy coffee bean scent sweetened with pralines and cinnamon is a must-try for everyone who loves a sweet coffee beverage.
Elements: dark coffee. sweet cinnamon. gooey praline. golden amber. licorice.
The Alloy Studio products are handcrafted and bottled in New York City. The fragrances are available in 50 ml bottles (the cutest bottles!) and 1.5 ml samples on the brand’s website.
I am grateful to Bryson and Eddie for sending me a colorful box filled with all their wonderful creations.
Words by Damiana. Photos by Damiana or kindly provided by Bryson.
Interview
I have enjoyed getting to know Bryson through multiple face-to-face and written exchanges over the last few years. His kindness, welcoming nature, and enthusiasm are truly contagious! I learned all about his journey to perfume-making, The Alloy Studio’s unique brand concept, and his predilection for fruity materials.
Bryson, can you tell us a little about your background and olfactory journey. How did you become interested in creating perfumes?
With roots in the Midwest and no real exposure to the fragrance industry at large, I came into perfumery from a place of curiosity and imagination. When I would wear a fragrance, it was a chance for me to mentally take myself out of my environment or circumstance and become someone else for a moment, almost like a glamour. I’ve been curious about scent since I was a child and always dreamed of what it would be like to create a fragrance even without insight into the industry and tradition of perfumery.
Let’s talk about silver and gold, the theme of your fragrance line. What do they represent for you and Eddie? How do you distill them into scent?
In our line, silver and gold respectively represent the spirit of collaboration and yin and yang between my partner and I. As we were creating the alloy studio together, we wanted to reflect our individual tastes and imaginations which resulted in the division of gold and silver. Gold represents my outlook on perfumery, often featuring a sense of ethereality and richness. Silver represents Eddie’s desires in perfume, featuring subversive, experimental concepts and ideas. These two elements form an alloy, something beautiful made through combination.
If you think of the raw materials from your perfumer palette, which ones are your favorites and why?
My favorite raw materials are ambrette, davana, and most fruit materials. All these things impart a sense of warmth and complexity, and fruits are so kaleidoscope as they can be sweet, green, bitter, lactonic, floral, gourmand. I’m really partial to amber for similar reasons.
What are the most common things people say about your fragrances?
The resounding opinion of our fragrances is that they are fun! And this is the goal. We started the alloy studio with a clear intention of never being boring or making boring things. We want nothing more than for people to experiment with what glamour means to them. Any fragrance can be glamorous if you value its power to accessorize your identity into something grander.
Can you share what a typical day looks like for you and Eddie?
Our day-to-day changes…day to day! However, lately it’s been full of dreams, and seeing things we dream of materializing. Our minds and hands are working around the clock to bring our brand to life even more. We both still have day jobs, so it’s not easy fitting in time to make perfume, design, create content, fulfill orders, and connect with our customers and community. But we make it work!
If you had to pick one favorite fragrance created by someone else, which one would it be and why?
This is hard for me to answer, because I really love my perfumes, as self-absorbed as that sounds! One fragrance that comes to mind is Rōzu from Aesop, a perfectly cold, spicy, powdery rose. It feels like a blood red rose covered in snow. For Eddie, it’s a toss-up between Acne par Frederic Malle, Byredo Pulp, or an unreleased fragrance we’re working on!
What does the fragrance industry need more of?
I feel the fragrance industry needs less homogeneity. I understand that there’s no “industry” really when you think about it, just millions of people and billions of dollars. With that said, the systems of tradition that exist now feel frail due to the lack of acceptance in a new era of perfumery. During this era people express themselves freely through fragrance without worrying about cultural standards and inhibition, both as consumers and makers. To allow all art forms to progress, you must have a progressive mindset. Once you lose that, you’re no longer an artist, just a conservative. The industry looks vastly different than it did 20 or even 10 years ago, and it would benefit many to understand, accept, and encourage that.
