Freddie Albrighton Perfume is a prestigious, quirky and alternative brand where fragrances are hand-crafted by owner Freddie. His flagship store, located in Stourbridge, is used as a creative space and a place to learn the craftsmanship of fragrance. Keyleigh Freeman discovers more
Working as a tattoo artist for several years, Freddie Albrighton has a passion for letting his creativity shine – which he now does through creating delectable scents. His perfumes are unique to his personal life experiences and emotions; as he explains, he literally captures his moments in a bottle.
Freddie is an advocate for expressing individuality and having fun while exploring fragrance and art.
Freddie Albrighton, perfumer and tattoo artist
Freddie said: “I am an independent perfumer and tattoo artist who launched this line after lockdown – needing something creative to keep me occupied during COVID lockdowns. I’ve been a tattoo artist for almost 10 years, and into perfumery for longer.
“My interest in perfume-making began years back when studying non-tangible art works, sound, light, smell – in a gallery/installation setting. It led me to become fascinated with fragrance materials, aroma chemicals and the construction of perfume accords.
“Having loved fragrance, and specifically vintage and avante garde perfumery, since my teenage years I’ve finally launched my own line, focused around concepts of nostalgia, family and comfort. Each perfume in the collection has familiarity, inspirations from life, love, travel, moments in time.
“We have stockists all over Europe but this flagship store is the only UK stockist where everything is designed, compounded, hand poured and labelled in-house. We are open on Fridays and Saturdays only, as Tuesday to Thursday I tattoo from here as a gorgeous private studio.
A fragrance collection by perfumer and tattoo artist Freddie Albrighton
“There is somewhat a crossover with perfume and tattooing – both allow me to play with colour, texture, similar subject matters from fantasy to nature.”
The artist added: “In both mediums, the final artwork is worn by someone else – and although perfume is short lived compared to a tattoo – in a way the bottle can be kept for years or forever depending how often you wear it, so both are a keepsake.”
Freddie has a variation of fragrances on his website; one being inspired by his mother, Bernadette. It was the first perfume he created and he called it Bernadette Margaret Evelyn Theresa. Freddie remembers his mum wearing Opium and other similar scents and he references the spicy amber and powdery florals of 80s perfume, while hinting at those vintage fragrances and also remaining contemporary and familiar.
He describes the scent as an 80s-inspired spicy floral, carnations, frangipani, apricot on a 70s nostalgic patchouli. It’s a sepia toned comfort – warm and full of love, just like his mother.
The fragrances
Freddie also has many other fragrances with compelling and emotional names featuring mouth-watering descriptions, he describes his perfumes delectably – they almost sound edible!
A pink fuzz of raspberry, cream soda and parma violet dust paired with earthy black leather and squeaky latex. BOYS settles as sweet and powdery with a rougher punk edge, a 90s white musk and a memory of the night before. It’s high camp, flirty and naive.
A tobacco sweetened with honey, cereal, burnt toffee and dried fruits, with a bitter coffee and fruity tobacco sat on vanillic dried woods and a hint of spiced leather. Everything bitter sweet with smells of bronze and gold. Syrupy by charred, comforting and full of depth.
A classical white orchid bouquet, spiked with pink pepper, melts into a bed of dense, creamy candlewax and myrrh. A memory, a soft focused, glowing light – minimal, radiant, aery. The imaginary smell of white orchid petals and the memory of a church. Light incense and the glow of thick, melted candle wax. A perfume for all my family that we’ve lost – warm, white, ethereal.
11 Candles In Antwerpen 50ml EDP, £102
Bubblegum and cedar wood – the memories of pink chunks of bubblegum, foam shrimps and candied bananas on a big bed of cashmere musks, spiced cedar and biscuit-y sandalwood. Effortlessly wearable and playful. A dry, woody, sweet, everyday fragrance. Totally Addictive.
Freddie is launching a new fragrance in September called ‘Someone Else’s Flowers‘; the perfume features bitter greens, radish and watercress – wet vegetal notes and flower shop air. Chrysanthemums and hyacinths on a vintage inspired mossy base create a scent which is classical but contemporary.
‘Someone Else’s Flowers’ – Out in September
From beautifully designed shop windows and many ‘works in progress’ to smell, if you’re a perfume enthusiast or just want a cool place to visit, you can stop by Freddie Albrighton Perfume to gain a greater understanding of how to ‘read’ perfume within the shop using Freddie’s cabinet full of rare materials.
Freddie added: “Perfume these days is marketed as merely a commercial product to smell good – but it can be so much more – it is art. It is meticulously designed, a balance of creativity and chemistry and the possibilities are endless. So smell different – and unique.”
And we couldn’t agree more.
Open Friday to Saturday 9.30-5.30, 14 Victoria Passage, Stourbridge.
