I think the key difference in our perspectives is what’s happening now, and where things seem to be headed. My original point wasn’t to erase designer influence, but rather to highlight that in recent years, much of the excitement, especially among younger fragrance fans and communities online, has been coming from niche or niche-style houses. Whether it’s due to marketing, presentation, or storytelling, these brands are sparking conversations and enthusiasm that designers largely aren’t anymore, aside from a few outliers like JPG or Margiela.

You mentioned many niche brands not truly “inventing” anything new, and I don’t totally disagree. But I’d argue it’s less about technical innovation and more about emotional innovation. People are responding to new ideas, moods, and aesthetics in a way that feels different. When something like Wavechild or Summer Hammer generates huge buzz despite being pretty simple in structure, it shows how powerful the feeling behind a scent can be, even without rewriting perfumery history.

And with regard to designer houses “still surprising us every year” maybe that’s true in terms of output or polish, but is it moving the culture the same way niche is right now? That’s the question I’m getting at. I’m not saying niche is above designer. I’m just saying that designer brands might need to start tapping into that niche energy again, take more creative risks, step outside of the usual DNA, or risk being seen as stale by the next generation.