Anjali Vandemark, perfumer, founder at Anjali Perfumes
Profile: Hello and Namaste! I was born and raised in India. My first scent memory is that of a mango leaf. As a little girl, I used to climb up mango trees to gather leaves for the first day of the lunar year. We made a garland of the leaves and strung them on top of the front door. It was a way to welcome spring. I must have been six then–thin and tiny, my knees skinned, my frock torn in places, my skin sunburnt but a big smile on my face. Up the tree I was a queen of the world. The scent of the mango leaves as I plucked them was divine. It was not just strong, green, raw, and sharp, it was also like the wind. It was free. It was light and airy. It was high. It gave me wings. But my best scent memory is of Sandalwood. My grandmother owned a small block of real Mysore Sandalwood. For special ceremonies, she’d give me the very important task of making Sandalwood paste. I would grind that precious block of wood on a sahan—a special stone meant for just this purpose. For days afterwards my fingers would stay perfumed. My soul is forever imbued with the divine scent of Sandalwood.
Anjali Vandemark’s mother, father, and grandmother
My childhood was filled with scents from a multitude of flowers that bloom in the tropical climate. I wore jasmines in my hair, strung flowers into garlands, or gathered grass tips for rituals. For a particular occasion, I would only gather wild leaves. There are about a dozen leaves, each with its own texture, shape, and varied green scent, that are special in some of our customs. Another one of my favorite fragrances? Cow-dung! The smell of wet dung is rich, fecund, and wonderfully green. I gathered dried cow dung cakes, which we would burn. On their embers we would sprinkle guggul and raal—resins from local trees. Even that smoke has a wonderful green touch. Since vegetables were the biggest part of our diet, I learned their different notes as I chopped them. And then there are the spices! Spices are an intimate part of my culture. For my debut collection, I used a mix of spices to create accords that lend a gentle touch. Cool and fresh, hot and earthy, and floral and sultry, heady.
A third of spices from the drawer of Anjali Vandemark of Anjali Perfumes
My experience of perfumes grew from applying attar from an attar-dani, to sprinkling rose water on guests from a gulab-dani—both expensive, silver receptacles designed for their particular purpose—and from my father’s shaving creams, my mother’s perfumes, and especially from soaps. Soaps are the most affordable and ubiquitous way to experience perfumes. Later, in the 1990s, when shopping malls became popular, I bought Givenchy, Burberry, Issey Miyake, Dior and other global brands that I could afford. And so, I have a humble background in perfumery at best. I do not have a formal education in this art, and I have sampled just a fraction of the vast array of perfumes. But I use what I know and what I have studied to create fragrances that resonate with me. I draw inspiration from my memories, what I have seen and learnt of other cultures, but mostly from the land—my eternal guide and refuge.
Anjali Vandemark’s perfume organ in her workshop on Bainbridge Island, WA.
On American Perfumery: Last year Saskia Wilson-Brown, founder of The Institute Art and Olfaction said something that moved and emboldened me. There are no rules, she said. Make your own. This liberation is what has made me, someone from a small-town India, dream of sharing my perfumes with you. All this was done with just clicks—LLC formation, business license, raw materials, you name it. I keep thinking of how accessible all these services are here in the USA, unlike so many other places.
Anjali Perfumes Himalayan Dawn perfume being made.
And the fragrance community! So joyful, so full of celebration of all things perfume. What an incredible gift. I do not feel that this is a secretive or difficult industry to enter. If anything, I feel that there is a growing wave of experimentation and inclusion today. And then there are the women perfumers. Diane St. Clair, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Chavalia Mwamba, Sarah Horowitz-Thran, Christi Meshell, Ellen Covey, Yosh Han, Mandy Aftel, and many many more… They all are my inspirations.
This land and these women have given me a voice. This is American perfumery.
Anjali Perfumes Himalayan Dawn, Tiger Bright, Monsoon Madness
In my debut collection, I have tried to create impressions of places and passions. I wanted to celebrate the awe of a Himalayan dawn, the adventure of a tiger reserve, and the exhilaration of monsoon.
I hope you enjoy them.
Antoine Vollon’s A Mound of Butter via (SAM)
Favorite <American> Artist: For the past few years, I have been deeply stirred by still life paintings. They captivate me. Their quiet seeps into me. The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) held an exhibition of Impressionist paintings a few years ago, where I saw Antoine Vollon’s A Mound of Butter. I am obsessed with it (I know he’s not American). Time and time again I look at a postcard of that painting. I can almost smell the butter. Another incredible way to experience the painting is to hear it. Yes, hear it. SAM has an audio recording that describes the painting for people with low or no vision. I’d love to share it with you.
Experiencing a thing from a different sense elevates it. Just like perfumes.
– Anjali Vandemark of Anjaliperfumes.com
3 samples, 2 ml each of three perfumes in The Passion Collection which includes Anjali Perfumes Himalayan Dawn, Tiger Bright, Monsoon madness
Thanks to Anjali Vandemark we have a draw of for a registered reader in US / CANADA for an Anjali Perfumes Discovery Set (3 perfume samples—2ml each of Himalayan Dawn, Tiger Bright, Monsoon Madness. To enter the draw, you must be a registered reader. Please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Anjali’s path to perfumery, and where you live. Which of her three small batch artisan fragrances appeal to you the most? Where do you live? Draw closes 2/3/21
Anjali Vandemark of Anjali Perfumes is 159th in our American perfumer series, which officially began in 2011 with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes.
All photos belong to Anjali unless otherwise noted. Editor’s Note: Each of the women perfumers Anjali was inspired by, all have been featured in our American Perfumers Series and Anjali’s store opens February 1, 2021
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