Nomenclature

Nomenclature is a niche perfume house founded in New York in 2015 by Karl Bradl and Carlos Quintero [5][2]. It is built on an unusual idea: instead of hiding synthetic materials behind natural-smelling accords, each fragrance is composed around a single man-made molecule, treated as the star of the scent rather than a background enhancer. The company frames its work as a celebration of "design in perfume chemistry," featuring molecules so exclusive that some — known in the trade as "captives" — are closely guarded by the fragrance companies that own them [1].

The house positions synthetic materials not as imitations of nature but as a subject in their own right, describing the result as "the beauty of modernity" [1]. Its perfumes are handmade in New York and sold both directly online and through European niche retailers.

Karl Bradl and Carlos Quintero launched Nomenclature as a ten-fragrance line focused on synthetic ingredients [5]. Bradl, described as a perfume designer who shapes each scent and guides the perfumer rather than mixing it himself, is also co-owner of Aedes de Venustas, a niche perfume store in New York. Quintero has worked across fragrance, fashion and publishing in Italy and the United States.

Sources agree on the two founders but differ on the spelling of one name: most editorial coverage records the co-founder as Carlos Quintero [2], while one German retailer lists him as "Carlos Quintana" [3], which the weight of other sources treats as an error.

Every Nomenclature composition is organised around a specific exclusive molecule. According to the German retailer Scentamor, the house transforms materials such as Iso E Super, Amberwood, Helvetolide and Aldehyde C-12 into finished fragrances, presenting each molecule "as the protagonist" rather than an invisible addition [3]. The brand describes its style as sheer and streamlined, aiming for a scent that "reflects nature but does not imitate it" [2].

The perfumes are developed in collaboration with established perfumers, among them Frank Voelkl, Nathalie Feisthauer, Patricia Choux and Bertrand Duchaufour.

The line is split into two collections. The original Molecular Collection gathers the molecule-led fragrances that gave the house its name — including orb_ital, built largely around Iso E Super, which the brand reports as roughly 75 percent of the composition [5], along with lumen_esce, adr_ett and fluo_ral [3]. A later Modern Eclectics collection extends the range with scents such as neo rose, wood dew and palmetto. Fragrance names are styled in lower case, often split with an underscore.

fluo_ral, created with the perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer, won a ÇaFleureBon fragrance award; the composition takes its cue from natural fluorescence and phosphorescence [2]. The house was also cited by Fashionista in a 2017 article on perfumery's growing interest in chemistry [6]. Its own website additionally lists appearances in titles such as Vogue and The New York Times, though these are presented as a self-reported "Featured In" list rather than verified individually [1].

Nomenclature remains active. As of 2026 it runs a working online storefront selling both the Molecular Collection and Modern Eclectics, maintains an active Instagram presence, and continues to reach buyers through niche fragrance retailers [1].