Carl Kling Parfums opens a new chapter through a creative collaboration with perfumer Michael Nordstrand, marking the beginning of a new fragrance collection.

In this first conversation, Michael shares his thoughts on artistry, inspiration, and the emotional language of perfume.

How would you describe your style as a perfumer?

Michael: I might describe it as methodical and incredibly technical but also quite emotional. Others have described what I do as being naturalistic, poetic, pensive. All good words, I would say. I definitely want people to feel something when they smell my work.

"...it’s important to recognise that it is an art. Too often when we work on something intended to become a product we forget to let it speak"

What’s the most important thing people should understand about the art of perfumery?

Michael: I think it’s important to recognise that it is an art. Too often when we work on something intended to become a product we forget to let it speak, to exist in its own right and for its own sake. In perfume, people are caught up asking about the provenance or purity of this material or that, or how long something lasts. Is it important that Vermeer used real Indian Yellow (he did) or is it important that he so beautifully captured the light of Delft by selecting the right colour?

Outside of fragrance creation, what inspires you the most?

Michael: I was a visual artist long before I studied perfumery, so light and colour play what might be thought of as an outsized role in my world; but I also love storytelling in many forms: poetry, music, mythology, film/tv. Sylvia Plath said—and I’m paraphrasing—that nature is a gift to the new poet, and I think it’s a gift also to every dreamer, every perfumer. I’m inspired daily by nature. Maybe it’s a cliché to say but I am in constant awe of the world.

Do your Scandinavian roots have any influence on your perfume creations? 

Michael: Oh, absolutely. The love of nature is for certain a hallmark I think of many Scandinavians, and a love of time spent outdoors; but the incorporative, practical nature of the culture is also striking to me as an adult. When they met Christians for the first time, ancient Scandinavians never thought to question whether or not another god could exist; they simply added him to the roster of known gods and asked how strong he was and what he ruled over! They are respectful and appreciative of wild things too, I think, and more ready than most to think about Elves and Trolls—always a bonus!

In what ways, if any, does your background in fashion influence your work as a perfumer?

Michael: Something I loved about my education was the development of a sensibility in relationship to form, and to structure. Crístobal Balenciaga taught me the value of both. 

From the outside many of his garments appear deceptively simple, but inside they are tailored with a scientific precision; he was both an artist and engineer. I think of dualities like that a lot when composing a fragrance: that something sculptural should still feel effortless, that science and art are not opposites but essential partners.

And as an illustrator first, I am also drawn to designers like Dries van Noten or Iris van Herpen. Their work demonstrates that ornament can be serious, and softness can be radical. That tension inspires the way I think about raw materials.

Photos by Jake Eshelman, copyright © Mythologist Studio™