Clue Perfumery Put the Midwest in a Perfume Bottle
May 1, 2024 — Articles
written by Nina Slesinger
At the Clue Perfumery studio, there are surprisingly few smells. Inside the light-filled space, there is instead plenty to see. Overlooking Wicker Park’s buzzing six corners, the blue line shakes past every few minutes. There are crisp shelves of small amber bottles, drawers of labeled tinctures, small laboratory appliances, scales, a work desk and computer. The light-streaked studio feels romantic and efficient, like if a wizard got a job as a lab tech.
![The three different perfume bottles spread out over a white table.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=74cc149e6404cf917fa99a8454dc674d 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=c26619348e02e80a67fd9f1a5dc1cb82 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=d8fdd54460a41c14f0632e99435726d8 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=40c55f117cd06ab419db54c836399d81 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=4a4b0a9315b150ccd786d3a054e93876 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=84367306636d51e05e10b4514812b0cc 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=8a332eb8ad90fb00e2d5ad9deac2b887 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=7aa6b069ede0a19762250dc4c6e21375 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=2de570fd4d5848cdc09f358ee2b472da 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=052c456c91a546d6deb151ac8ab6bcfc 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7900.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491302&s=12da172c1dfed6689b650728863528bc 480w)
![Black and white film image of Clue branding on a piece of paper.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=406d3fc4ff7baad4a1c581b3a2dea12e 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=32aa541ddb5cfcb940bb46d29867d4c6 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=92cb84edcd29d7f5e9548accc6e73479 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=2853af6a8f5af05b9aab2f09ebf09182 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=55ff042df3e22cbd96eb70b12eaf8670 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=4d8bdbc381e7d40934576c77db3121a4 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=e8b64bd1dce3909be38688731a56ab7c 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=8dbc32e7dbee3d0b0710cf3a235d72f1 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=c001d9cfefb770ebb043182c5bfc468a 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=5131877d97f7f5a1a48a6d4abc58f2d5 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390007.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714496672&s=5ab11eeeb58d85a5592094c6f5f8af42 480w)
Image by Wil Driscoll (left) and Nina (right)
Clue was born out of pandemic curiosity. Many of us explored food, Laura Oberwetter studied smells. After taking a class at The Institute of Art and Olfaction, she started playing around with materials and developing scents. She shared her work with her longtime best friend, the designer Caleb Vanden Boom, and he came on board to develop a visual language. The result is Clue Perfumery, an eccentric and deservedly buzzy line of three excellent and unusual (and often sold-out) perfumes.
Clue is a rare thing, or, in fact, many rare things: fragrances are hand-mixed, the branding is blissfully free of old-school eroticism and exoticism, and the source materials are not the fields of Southern France, but the forests of Wisconsin and other wholeheartedly Midwestern signifiers.
![Perfume bottle against faded white, black and green background](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=c254f79fbf1e58ceb2042066bd01e348 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=01c82b8f80e17abdf86a2fa1ee72a4ca 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=9e254dc8d935e56f8c0142e97e866071 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=8d2790fbe4fa58782b8046c0502b1a50 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=28d272914d506fa2c5695120b491b512 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=4f3604c9729f8fca098f9c8aacd9667d 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=79f7cf224c5c46f3680839c5f9bbe6cc 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=bb3b2dde1d71b6f514a43b73b7cb9e86 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=ae4c425f91bb8eac5b7ed87215a638ca 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=b4ca05d189328aedfc48a1e5e7ff46a8 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7898.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491397&s=f84a03fd6bdb91078e453ac708b42578 480w)
![Perfume bottle against black and orange background](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=a73afb7c772b57949f441fcc15b86610 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=7d05844f9e96dcaf0a5fe0be99bb30c7 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=7a3fdc560fe6d86ca6e34cb220287493 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=8d05495913b2e21e67d0b8a09d2de8a9 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=7e56b2e4fb32dee25ddf2dea471135fa 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=fde53c6e43b16c4a830034a7b8491355 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=ec5cfb800b2d7330531ae9a2d3c6ba4f 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=b92f0ebc63dc5d3b2c030183838a4e7f 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=58f6966dd3a023e89a8e47458af5282c 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=0eee41cfb160d99639dbb4dd344c5829 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7897.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714491384&s=5b3349667f51546d5525fe331897fd71 480w)
Photos by Steven John Miner
At the studio, Laura begins my tour with a gesture toward her “organ,” essentially a perfumer’s toolbox. I ask, is there a standard organ? She tells me no, and with awe, explains that there is no set vocabulary in the language of fragrance. Some perfumers have hundreds of vials of materials, some restrict themselves to a tight 200 or so, retiring one material when a new one is introduced.
I’m learning from Laura that to be a perfumer is to be an enthusiast for everything else besides perfume. She shows me the black desk lamp, a hand-me-down from her dad, and then grabs a bottle of immortelle from her organ, offering me a sniff. She asks if I notice that the flower smells hot, and, yes, I do! The lamp sat on the desk at her old job–a job she’s quit since Clue took off–and she became obsessed with recreating the scent of the overheated light bulb. She found that immortelle seemed to possess the sensation of heat and dust, and made it a central note in Warm Bulb, a cozy fragrance that is somehow the spitting sensual image of its name. Last week, I threw on a sweater and felt immediately nostalgic, but couldn’t quite place what for. I realized I’d worn Warm Bulb the week prior and the scent lingered. It’s warming and familiar.
![An image of a clean desk with shelves full of ingredients for scents.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=2139f37886fabebf0c76c4589c64e8e4 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=84382995ecf4adcde35d068c0bc5dc52 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=ff85e80f0c533cbd2ae6b4ae1369eb02 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=e7e74e8e13dcaf98c5024c8100719f88 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=ad0d97d3ee934500e6366c98a87a3c62 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=5a564dcde3b16d1c711b960b6aea918e 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=01dc74855abe7432754e8843a1bc38b4 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=8202dcc953746662a8e54579dcde4148 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=22b407ee10409a24ee5a7e22788eddee 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=e8c08757a4dc485c703b2dc72eaca9a1 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Workspace.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497428&s=b9875dcdd7da575725e4b3c1594e1e87 480w)
![An image of the Clue Perfumery studio space filled with shelves of viles.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=c2f651de07683b90dc2fc659f1449d5c 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=5a879a3d199982bd70db94d86741bbde 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=a4c0792c96a9085d307254d79d6f1a14 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=492bcd5f64a85565c8b600683dad06c6 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=b7ed21ff736c2585dd416052742e9286 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=9b6d5bdefdbac6fc03ec684988e8bc26 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=654337ac2924a06b9646d8b08c64c47b 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=cc54b29c76e92127f2dc4fbead9c572b 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=1005bc4d3dab0547af4f9672b8fb2a34 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=430fe8a2081259f84825352d991a3ed5 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/CLUE-STUDIO-2.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497276&s=1be2f2274b1921248af8da316cd2bc37 480w)
![Clue studio desk with branding materials on the table.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=8be574f9b69d9c80c6b5d612cd2c308a 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=0e78e463a52061a928e66be5ccc3a938 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=533c89a570b97be3aca65b4fb011fc4d 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=9dd0bed3e955c41d8e2f2da4cb3e593a 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=0b4105dbd93f3549961fdd0ec7802552 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=b966f341171611d8750ea5d03447b46a 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=b2c958ae21ea44c0f41ac481e511be87 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=d5829a952baba3c001d845bf2bac20dc 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=88b957894e4a6ca72bcced929432d4ca 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=073b82ff1979d6daf3fcecf22187d2ed 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/Clue-Desk.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497290&s=346b6bffaf630cd73d4ecb556af845a6 480w)
The other scents in Clue’s repertoire are just as nostalgic and strange. “You know when you were a kid on the playground, kids would tell you that there was beaver anus in vanilla ice cream?” Laura asks me. I unfortunately have to admit that no, that was not in the repertoire of rumors at my elementary school. Whatever: she explains that what these kids were teasing each other about was technically true. Castoreum, an ingredient derived from beaver castor sacs, was occasionally (but no longer) used to amp up the musky, creamy flavor in some vanilla ice creams; there's a traditional Swedish schnapps flavor that translates to “beaver shout.”
Laura used castoreum in her first fragrance, With The Candlestick, to evoke the hint of fear she felt as a child in church. The other notes build a heady cathedral: communion wine, gooey wax, and smoke. I grew up attending mass every Sunday, and with this scent I was right there in the pews. The third scent in their debut trio, Morel Map, is a green fragrance crafted in tribute to the annual hunt through Midwestern forests for prize mushrooms. It took me straight back to a summer hike in Kettle Moraine, the trail surrounded by neon orange chanterelles.
It’s so easy to get carried away by fragrances that claim to “transport” you, whether to the gardens of the Mediterranean, or a market in Marrakech, or a sailboat in Polynesia. Clue’s scents, on the other hand, stay close to home. They turn me inward, to my own memories and personal associations.
“There’s gravity in committing to a scent,” Laura says. It’s part of why she started Clue. What do you feel? And say about yourself? What do you want to remember? It's less about the notes than the vibe, which Laura argues is underestimated. She says "I know that it's impossible to pin down, and I know it seems so ambiguous, but if you ask what vibes you want in a scent, that's a much easier way to get to the core of the answer."
![An image of the perfume bottle for "With Candlestick" against a smokey red background.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=d7f609525b1dbdb3ea702cbae235ef5e 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=41d87dbe6041477c0992d32df2c13e4e 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=e1d96dbf32b07396b79b9feebf6a29d2 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=67b42d839f3ff3bdb19e927143196933 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=e04394907455385a2278ab0fb6a2d145 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=f1014ed0d888f20671cde7e167a10ffc 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=5813d7d3569f16dad1c9ed7b3b83a4e4 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=6a303b9a20bde50c7ab529b84cbd51fc 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=b5d8098292c3b42c915a86f8b7725d8a 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=5bf9373b6cdff3228b49b383d8d26a96 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7899.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497319&s=a241b3ee67914a03e2b8a333b9fe7262 480w)
![Image of pefume bottle with smoking candlestick on top of it.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=f02a08ebd6ad531fe2ca3a55912568e5 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=afb006dc8048cd8023695115b4a1fddb 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=74201623c76caf512bed505c84903f96 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=64958e1846aedc30a1292c0c6cd798a3 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=f428c2ccfaf6c6a4aa2485c0d95d64f5 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=a0e13f18500a191873c5edf8b6673714 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=87a30378d91405452cf74885303933e0 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=1b2de7d56d7f13c85b4a568224cbcf2c 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=c3027999d6db9eb33eb88e981376d7a4 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=3fbbbd03ded5ea24dd82e29ffb1d1a1b 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/IMG_7902.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714497310&s=beda4068ad957955a14ad8aa6bc445f9 480w)
Photo by Steven John Miner (left) and Wil Driscoll (right)
Perfume is also an object, and Caleb Vanden Boom has designed equally evocative counterparts for Laura’s creations. When we met at the studio, he was easygoing and lackadaisical. He seems to find inspiration everywhere, like he’s turning over stones and looking for worms underneath. I had stacked my meeting with them in between errands and brought an old Kodak Brownie camera with me; I’d been buying new film and thought I might as well take some photos at the studio on the antique toy. Caleb gravitated toward the camera and experimented as we talked. I couldn’t help but notice he smelled the inside of the camera when we opened it to change the film.
Clue’s branding is trendy, with knobby caps on the glass bottles and graphic lettering, but it’s also playful, with doodles and synesthetic color swatches for each of the three fragrances. The silhouette of the bottle is like a skeleton keyhole, conjuring storybook magic and intrigue. Caleb noted that many perfume brands aim for neutrality, the design can be an afterthought. With Clue, he wanted the design to be a companion to the scents, with visual interest, a sense of play, and no stuffiness. Indeed, the bottles are fun to hold and look at, joyful little sculptures.
Caleb also recently quit his day job and now works on Clue and freelance projects full-time. At the agencies he used to work for, he would design meticulous brand identities and guidelines, and then hand them off to the brand, never to be touched again. With Clue, he can stay with the identity he crafted, breaking the rules he wants to break, letting it live and breathe and age.
Laura and Caleb’s decade-plus friendship has yielded a trusting creative and business partnership. They appreciate the same things and believe deeply in each other’s talent. I was struck by their lack of possessiveness over their respective work, despite the delineation of their distinct roles. There’s an easy and generative dynamic between them.
![A black and white film image of Laura and Caleb standing in their office. Laura stands with her hands in front of her, Caleb with his hands behind.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=5010c938be0c2d9358647e568aa90ee2 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=45f1b64bc0382a5006c43754fbd67b13 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=d29e2c207f862ebc09cfc2aad17a0b52 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=1c77392aeeb498e9855d2d19e90c9fca 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=06e5e89992b18288a4840296b1e6884b 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=0d28a5ef54fe9c2cebd68a46b7a51ca7 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=3a327807a675f419fb7d7b418133c4d6 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=2e5917d7493d170c90af353b5caaec54 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=78e0f77353fffe2fd573111e33e54920 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=b5e09bfae960e52a7e5b495157d87cb1 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390004.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490889&s=14d7aa4fdbffb5817ab8bb0973d728fd 480w)
![An image of a perfume bottle layered over the studio space. A window is open, letting in light.](https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=2400&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=b3331fe6c316c3e7d04a4d49d440e133 2400w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=2160&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=b588667e5ca2ee84e136cd78979b95dd 2160w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=1920&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=68fa33aeb385349cce2e592ba0389491 1920w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=1680&q=60&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=ae533ddbab64b9c26fccddba3a68ffe4 1680w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=1440&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=b9be0fc9b5b923a67c3f2862e5466da8 1440w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=1200&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=93411621c0c83d54fdc78398d67aaeba 1200w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=1080&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=900895768329138709afb8df5fa5f6e3 1080w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=960&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=1b8f9f28ce7f33db47f5d9648557325f 960w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=720&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=285836b1237efac10a65a715f6515000 720w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=640&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=37d61e4e5a2e54e2fbdb278225d4c35a 640w, https://transforms.noihsafbazaar.com/production/uploads/000087390003.jpg?w=480&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1714490936&s=6534962e82ca865cf753ead3473ae1e5 480w)
Before I left the still-bright studio to step back into the bustling street below, they shared with me the first tests for their fourth fragrance. It's whimsical and surprising, and I promised I would keep it that way–a surprise. As I smelled the materials and they described their vision, I couldn’t help but smile. It’s all delightful: delightful to hear them talk about what they are passionate about, delightful to see their unusual references, delightful to witness them with each other, delightful to walk home and smell my wrist. For an industry awash with pretense and marketing, they’ve found a purely joyful expression of both art and brand.