I’ve known Ouigi (pronounced Wee-Gee) for quite sometime. Over the years, he’s grown and matured but the hustle has remained constant. A few years ago, he started The Brooklyn Circus, which started out as clothing store but has impressively evolved into a lifestyle brand. I heard through the grapevine he was producing and selling scented candles and was most intrigued. Surely if he was going in that direction, I wanted to talk to him. I recently caught up with him at the store and dead smack in the middle of our chat; I couldn’t resist and just had to ask what he was burning. It was one of the BKc’s candles, Joya. With ingredients of Blood Orange, Vanilla and Sweet Musk, it is a must have for the winter. All of the candles are soy based and are hand-poured in Brooklyn. Now onto the good stuff:
What’s your earliest recollection of fragrance in your life?
Man, it would have to be my uncle and my mom. My uncle would visit us and when he left, the house smelled like him. It was never offensive, but very manly. My mother wore Opium and I think of her whenever I smell it. May she rest in peace.
Can you remember your first fragrance purchase? If so, what was it?
Ha! This is going to be funny. I’d have to say Drakar Noir. That was quite popular when I was growing up. In this order, these fragrances were important in my life: Drakar Noir, Joop, Gucci Rush, Diesel in the red bottle, Issey Miyake, Lolita Limpeka, and Bond No. 9’s Wall Street. Of those, I would only revisit Wall Street as a scent from my past
What’s your favorite scent right now? What is it about it that has you hooked?
Hands down, it’s Paul Smith London. It’s actually discontinued, but I always look high and low to find it. My lady swears by it too. She says she thinks of me when anyone else is wearing it and hates that. She only wants me to smell like that.
How often to you buy cologne? What was the last one?
I buy cologne every few months. I buy my normal fragrance and test a few others to find another one to add to the rotation. The last one was a re-up of Paul Smith London.
What do you look for in a scent?
For it to last, be distinctive and not offensive. I also like a scent that compliments my character. It has to go with me and suit me.
Why did you feel it was important to add scented candles to the mix of what Brooklyn Circus offers? Is there a fragrance in the future?
Smell is a very important part of anyone’s experience. With that, as we look to round out The Brooklyn Circus experience, I felt it was our logical next step. It says so much about an encounter, a moment in time and we want to expose our customers to something we feel is unique. A BKc fragrance is a must in the future…why don’t you make some calls on our behalf?
How would you finish this statement…my most memorable fragrant moment would be…?
My most memorable fragrant moment has to be a holiday gift from my lady. She bought me PS London this past Christmas, when I thought I would never find it. I searched all over for it hoping to surprise her. But she ended up surprising me with a pretty large bottle at half the cost of my normal bottle.
Quite a gift indeed.
fragrantmoments.net 