According to Heretic founder Douglas Little, the indie-perfume brand’s approach to collaborations is rooted in its name.A heretic, he explained, is “a person with an opinion that is different than others.” Since launching the brand in 2015, “it’s been my mission to be able to not only create a space where we celebrate beauty in all of its many shapes, forms and denominations, but even more than that, where we can [spotlight] people and artists who are marching to the beat of their own drum.”
The brand’s first major product collaboration came in 2017, when Little partnered with longtime friend Dita Von Teese on a fragrance called Scandalwood, which remains among Heretic’s top five bestsellers. And if consumers weren’t already familiar with Heretic, many were introduced to the brand in 2020 through its collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow on the now-infamous “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle.
Since then, Heretic has expanded its collaboration strategy to include horror films like “Nosferatu” and “The Bride,” and creators such as Mars Chasolen, known as @yung.planet, who partnered on the brand’s Rhubarb Thief perfume. It has also teamed with authors, with an Edward Gorey-inspired home collection, and musicians. Its first artist collaboration is set to launch next week.
