Stay fabulous, sample first.
I find the story in the bottle, then pass it around.
I'm Ken, a fragrance archaeologist. I follow fragrance wherever it leads: the people who make it, the history behind it, the expos, the stores and what's really in the bottle. 143 videos so far.
Van Dang Fragrances at Saks Fifth Avenue
Wednesday, November 4, 2026. I'll be introducing Kim-Van at cocktail hour.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026. I introduced Kim-Van at cocktail hour.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Saks Fifth Avenue. I'm introducing Kim-Van at cocktail hour.
Start here
Nine videos that tell you who I am faster than I can.
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 1: before plumeria34,351 plays
Shalimar and its three guardians10,444 plays
What happens if you never pick your lemons9,063 plays
The Baccarat Rouge 540 documentary8,920 plays
Coco de mer: ZONM vs SOVAZ8,882 plays
Thank you, Sebastian Jara5,266 plays
Perfumer's Apprentice part 2: sourcing and storage4,666 plays
Walk FUMED Atlanta 2026 with me, part 3New, 4,042 plays
Pure oud oil with JK DeLapp at FUMED AtlantaNew, 1,601 plays- See all
143 videos
Just posted
The newest videos, as they land.
Six Sarah Baker Perfumes at ZGO PerfumeryNew, 741 plays
Blueberries are stranger than you thinkNew
Elysian Parfum Blueberry Crème SconeNew, 1,513 plays
Cult of Kaori Yakushima MistNew, 962 plays
FUMED Atlanta 2026: the full walkthroughNew, 31 plays
Nervous about perfume shows? Start with FUMEDNew, 1,221 plays
FUMED Atlanta wrap-up haulNew, 3,223 plays
Walk FUMED Atlanta 2026 with me, part 1New, 2,691 plays- See all
143 videos
Fragrance Archaeology
History, science and the strange stories behind a smell.
Maile, the fragrant Hawaiian vine2,331 plays
Why saffron can smell like burnt rubber4,326 plays
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 2: endemic flowers10,603 plays
Growing native Hawaiian plants in Zone 9b8,251 plays
The Gowe controversy7,705 plays
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 4: introduced plants5,312 plays
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 6: 'iliahi sandalwood4,930 plays
One tree, three fragrances: neroli, orange blossom and petitgrain2,617 plays
Vintage jewelry meets solid perfume2,330 plays
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 3: flowers the ocean carried2,215 plays
History of Scent, Hawaii ep. 5: invasive species2,087 plays
L'Occitane renamed its fragrances at 501,857 plays- See all
25 videos
Stephanie, AAILA, Honolulu
On vacation in Hawaii, my priority was her shop: the first niche perfume boutique in the state, open since May in Chinatown, Honolulu.
"I wanted to bring niche perfume to Hawaii. We don't have anything like this."
Stephanie, owner of AAILA
"I want different perspectives. I want to get to know the brands. I fall in love with a lot of the perfumers as well."
Stephanie, on what she buys
"She puts the location of the brand on everything, and she lists out the notes for her customers."
Ken
Next for AAILA: events that turn the shop into a third space, and bringing perfumers out to the islands.
On the road
Where I've been and where I'm headed. Tap a stop to see the videos.Van Dang at Saks
Introducing Kim-Van at cocktail hourVan Dang Fragrances launches at Saks Fifth Avenue. Meet the founder 12 PM to 4 PM EST, master class at 4 PM EST, cocktails and shopping 5 PM to 7 PM EST.
Made together
Collaborations with people and places I admire.
Perfumer's Apprentice part 4: classes and the smelling lab4,572 plays
Perfumer's Apprentice: first sniff of Mango Natural3,676 plays
Perfumer's Apprentice part 3: compounding and IFRA checks3,089 plays
Perfumer's Apprentice part 1: the founding story2,141 plays
Top 5 reasons to attend FUMED Atlanta 20262,041 plays
My visit to Perfumer's Apprentice1,826 plays
Inside AAILA, Hawaii's first niche perfume store507 plays
Featured by satinfragrance.diary5,601 plays
Perfume Pass for FUMED Atlanta with Jess Hempel1,543 plays
Using Perfume Pass on the FUMED floor720 plays- See all
13 videos
Sniff sessions
One bottle, the person who made it, and whatever rabbit hole it sends me down.
Jonah Meltzer Green WingsNew, 808 plays
Third Eye Fragrance Co. Iris ObsidianNew, 1,336 plays
Maison des Animaux CloudbreathNew, 648 plays
Room 1015 Kokoa Bang1,022 plays
Maya Njie Nordic Cedar1,416 plays
Zhufu Aged Pu-Er Tea3,658 plays
SYD Botanica Meteorite2,547 plays
Demolished Studio, the Buenos Aires house behind Oud Sublime2,412 plays
Mimicri, a Korean house with a unique take2,226 plays
Heretic Häxan unboxing2,003 plays
Paramsara: an unconventional orris and oud alternative2,001 plays
What makes a perfume purple: Parfums Obim Ultra Violet1,973 plays- See all
49 videos
People
Perfumers, founders and friends.
Meet Lav of LAV Couture2,184 plays
The perfumer trying to give California an official smell1,642 plays
Funmi Monet and Sephora's Accelerate program3,810 plays
Why fragrance creators should credit perfumers3,072 plays
Spotlight: Maurice Laurent2,013 plays
Introducing my cousin Kari to fragrance1,640 plays
Introducing Rob, the no-perfume guy, to fragrance1,178 plays
The one perfumer I hope to meet: Prin Lomros
Meeting Prin Lomros at ScentFest SF- See all
10 videos
Every bottle has a person behind it. I like to meet them.
Trained in naturals at Enfleurage in New York. Along the way I love introducing perfumers to the people they should know.
Left: Justin Frederico of Frederico Parfums, April of Scent Trunk and Travis McIntosh of Perfumer's Apprentice at FUMED Atlanta. Right: Kim-Van Dang of Van Dang Fragrances at Neiman Marcus Atlanta.
Work with me
323,000+ plays across the videos on this site. Every gifted product is disclosed. See the media kit or download the PDF
Say hello
Tell me what you're making, launching or hosting.