Fueguia 1833 Exclusive Interview: Perfumes are Works of Art

Fueguia 1833 is a niche fragrance brand that was founded in 2010. The brand is committed to using natural and vegan ingredients in all of its products, from the research of natural botanical ingredients to the creation of formulation, manufacturing, and artisanal packaging. Since its inception, the company has used only specific natural ingredients as raw materials for its fragrances, all of its formulations use 100% biodegradable ingredients.

Julian Bedel, the founder of Fueguia 1833, is persistent in exploring the diversity of plants nature has to offer, with a particular interest in plants from South America. In an exclusive interview with CHAILEEDO, he said that he firmly believes in the "power of natural plants and power of natural ingredients."

Fueguia 1833 has developed quite rapidly, and its sales in 2019 exceeded 2 million euros. In 2021, Fueguia 1833 obtained equity investment from the Middle East investor Ilwaddi WLL and actively expanded the local market. How did Fueguia1833 differentiate itself from other perfume brands and gain favor from the capital? CHAILEEDO invited Julian Bedel, to share his experience in brand building and his views on fragrance.

An Artist's Journey in Crafting Unique Fragrances

“I come from a family of artists, my father and brother that they are painters, and sculptors.” Growing up in his father's studio, Bedel was surrounded by a variety of raw materials such as wood and paint. He gained a lot of inspiration from his life experiences and pursued his passion for the arts. He began his creative journey by crafting guitars and playing music and later ventured into painting and sculpture.

When his father sent him a Nobel Prize-winning thesis that inspired the artist, it marked a turning point. “It was about two American physicians, Linda Buck and Richard Axel, who decoded the genome of the olfactory bulb.“ Bedel remembers. The scientific explanation of the effects of volatile molecules on people's sense of smell is presented in this paper.

When he read this article, he found “chemical signals that can be understood by people, animals and plants as scent. It’s a universal language.” The artist started to experiment with the method of gathering and blending fragrances, which led to the creation of Fueguia 1833.

“Westerns use scent as a decoration, but I think fragrance can bring people mystical experience. It provides something that I think medicine cannot provide in a way.” Bedel posits that fragrances have the power to elicit memories from the past and evoke emotional connections. “Scent is something extremely powerful.”

Power comes from natural plants

What is the most important element of creating a good fragrance? Bedel thinks the answer to this question is “the magical combination between the formulation and ingredient".

"A good painter needs only charcoal and water to create a work of art with a clear subject. But in the case of scent, you need the power of plants," says Bedel.

Fueguia1833's products “are different because of the ingredients, extraction, maceration, production methods, formulation and concepts”, but everything is organically combined. Bedel participates in every stage of the fragrance creation process, from the initial concept of the fragrance, botanical research, and formulation to the final design of the packaging.

“Our perfumes started as vegan perfumes, so perfumes don't use animal-origin ingredients. In order to substitute animal original ingredients, we use some synthetics. But I do believe 100 % that to achieve our mission, we need the power of scent. the only way is through plants and the careful selection of the active molecules that create this well-being in that.” Bedel told CHAILEEDO.

Because of the availability of ingredients, all of Fueguia 1833’s perfumes are produced in limited quantities of up to 400 bottles per fragrance.

Different cultures, different consumers

In the past 2022, Fueguia1833 released a limited edition unisex fragrance Land of Champions, which aims to pay tribute to the countries that have won the championship. The ingredients come from the World Cup champion countries Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Britain, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.

“Argentina is one of the eight winning teams in the World Cup, and we have a deep connection with football. Fortunately, we won the championship this year. This World Cup was held in Qatar. I am very grateful to them for organizing this event, so I hope to create some special souvenirs for guests and their guests.” The perfume is limited to 2022 bottles worldwide, and the price of 100ml is 350 euros. Additionally, Bedel says that although perfume had not been prepared for the 2026 World Cup, it was already in the process of being conceived.

Fueguia 1833 has opened physical stores in Milan, New York, Tokyo, London, Buenos Aires, and Maldonado, which has allowed Bedel to receive feedback from consumers belonging to different cultural backgrounds.

“Thanks to God, he is quite uniform in a way. Humans have similar preferences, as seen in the fact that both Argentines and Chinese love the scent of jasmine.” Bedel also analysis that different cultures will also affect consumers' preference for fragrance selection. He found that Japanese consumers don't like strong scents that overwhelm other people, so they choose lighter fragrances.

From the perspective of brand development, Fueguia 1833 will focus on South America this year. "Learning from our existing stores and open little by little. We were a slow company.” Bedel says at the end of the interview. “I just enjoy expanding and being an artist within a new territory and doing it with a lot of humility like doing it very naturally and organically.”