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MY STORY
2013
I’m sitting in the car, embracing my wife—back then still my girlfriend—and I notice something different. Her scent, so familiar to me, has changed. I don’t know why, but I ask, “Is something different?”…
She’s expecting our first child, and I recognized it by her scent. It’s changed—sweeter now. Like gingerbread spice!
2019
I don’t care about scents. Perfumes? I just wear whatever my wife buys for me. But then, one December day, my life changes.
My wife’s friend, Eliška Šimek Polzerová, an aromatherapist, visits us. She brings her suitcase, her perfumer’s “organ”—hundreds of tiny bottles filled with natural essences. Various cedars, jasmines, red champaca, and Gallic rose.
I take them into another room. I start opening them, and… It’s love at first sniff.
How could I have ignored this incredible, diverse world of scents for almost my entire life? And the memories and emotions each sniff evokes?!
This isn’t just a fleeting fascination. This is the awakening of a new passion. A love that’s just beginning.
Luckily, my wife notices and gifts me my first perfume workshop. Several hours of blending, discovering, and confirming what I already know deep down—I’m not turning away from this path.
2019 / 2020
New Year’s transition, a journey to Thailand.
I’m riding through Bangkok’s concrete jungle in a battered yellow Thai taxi. Hanging from the rearview mirror, an Indian jasmine pendant fills the air.
Amidst the flood of neon lights and food stalls, I spot a skyscraper with a bright red sign—“BAŤA.” I’m shocked to see it here of all places.
And suddenly, combinations of fragrance names start forming in my head:
Rose + Jasmine = Rosemine? No.
Frangipani + Peony = Frangiris? Sounds weird.
Oakmoss + Bergamot = BERGAMOSS! That’s it!
I had no idea this wordplay would change my life forever.
And what could this name represent? My own perfume brand, of course!
The next morning, I head straight to Perfumer’s World—Asia’s largest supplier of fragrance materials—to buy my first perfumery ingredients.
I see strange names like Calone, Iso E Super, and Galaxolid
Can I even take these on a plane? No idea. But I’ll risk it.
2020
Covid.
The most important year in my life as a budding perfumer.
Until then, I was touring with concerts—but every single one gets canceled, and I have no idea what’s next.
Suddenly, I have so much time that I dive headfirst into my fragrant hobby—sometimes mixing perfumes for seven hours a day.
I train my nose, compare 20 types of citrus oils, and learn that scents aren’t just “masculine” or “feminine”—they belong to families like chypre, fougère, gourmand, or aldehydic.
I buy every single book on perfumery I can find (mostly in English). I devour interviews with master perfumers.
And most importantly—I create. Create. Create.
2021
I’m trying, but nothing major happens.
I continue studying under perfumers like Sarah McCartney (UK), Harry Sherwood (UK), Emmanuelle Mogelin (FR/UK), and Christophe Laudamiel (FR/USA).
I blend perfumes only for friends and family—whoever reaches out to me. And not many do.
Launching my own brand feels out of reach.
I can’t even find a manufacturer who can produce a fragrance precisely to my formula.
I start wondering—was I too ambitious? Should I just go back to focusing on music, which has been my livelihood all this time?
I can’t just let this dream slip away.
2022
My first big order!
After posting a video of myself blending a perfume and explaining the process, someone finally reaches out—an existing perfume brand wants me to create fragrances for them!
A dream come true!
For now, Bergamoss takes a backseat. I can’t let this opportunity slip away.
I spend months conducting hundreds of tests, shipping dozens of samples, studying regulations, allergens, and all the tedious yet crucial aspects of perfume-making.
My bedroom transforms into a bigger fragrance lab. My wife curses me for it.
And honestly, with the intense raw materials I work with, I don’t blame her…
2024
If I thought previous years were just a warm-up, 2024 is a rollercoaster!
I’ve created several new perfumes, and thanks to word-of-mouth and social media, my fragrances have started spreading across Europe—especially among perfume collectors.
I even became a perfumer for Mandario—one of the leading manufacturers of scented products.
Every day, I now create scents for candles, perfumes for other brands, fragrances for laundry and cars…
At one point, I told myself I wanted music to become my hobby again—and perfumery to be my career.
This year, that dream became reality.
Through Mandario, I finally found a way to officially produce my perfumes—now in the hundreds of bottles.
With my brilliant graphic designer (Hey, Yvans!), we developed a proper logo, packaging, and bottle design—everything needed for the first official Bergamoss perfume.
I can’t wait for you to experience it!
And at the same time, I’m incredibly nervous.
Will people like it? Or will I end up giving everything away to friends and family?
2025
Alright. Here we go.
On April 1, 2025, I officially launched www.Bergamoss.com for the Czech and European markets.
And as for what happens next—I’ll let fate decide, while following my nose wherever it leads me.
Thank you all for being part of this incredible fragrance journey!
A journey beyond language, where one never knows where a scent might take them.
Your perfumer,
Václav Lebeda / Bergamoss
