When Detroit native Jamie Wadsworth created her gender-neutral fragrance line, Ori, her goal was to do away with the idea that men wear cologne and women wear perfume. Founded in 2018, Ori, formerly known as One Fragrance Co., encourages people to wear whatever fragrance makes them happy.
The 26-year-old never saw herself creating fragrances, despite finding joy in trying on her mother’s many perfumes as a child. Rather, the idea for her brand came to her while she was living with her then partner, whose cologne she wanted to use, though she worried about how she would be perceived for wearing a “masculine” fragrance.
Wadsworth considered the traditional gender-specific marketing of fragrances and was inspired to make what she considered a universal product more inclusive.
“Why is it not marketable to everybody? You can’t see it, so it doesn’t matter if it matches your shade. It has nothing to do with size. So that was something that I took personally, and I was like, ‘OK, I can do this, and we can make it non-gendered,’” she says. “If it smells good to you, if it brings about a good mood or memory, you should be able to wear it.”
Ori products, available at oriholistic.co, are all made and packaged from Wadsworth’s home. She finds inspiration in her surroundings, from Detroit’s artistic community to memorable scents from her travels. All her products are vegan and cruelty-, paraben-, and phthalate-free. Mood-boosting citrus notes are her favorites to work with, evident in the Enigma Eau de Parfum Spray and Armor fragrance. The brand’s skincare line includes hand-poured bar soaps and the Skin Salvation Oil — pictured above — for acne-prone skin ($30).
“I’ve always valued open communication. That translates to a brand image, too — feeling comfortable to shop with this company,” she says. “I wanted my brand to be about the person and celebrating who they are.”
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