Bryson & Eddie: For us, we were just kind of bored of other fragrances at the time. All of the popular, more editorial fragrance brands were beautiful aesthetically, but the fragrances were, they just didn't feel as special. And they felt very safe. So we had bigger ideas to make, so we did them. Michy: Hell yeah, and you're doing it so well too. Thank you guys so much for being here today. For those of you who don't know, this is Eddie and Bryson of the Alloy Studio. For those who may not have discovered your brand yet, can you tell us a little bit about it? Bryson & Eddie: Thank you. Yeah, Alloy Studios, an experimental fragrance brand. The fragrances are, we like to say, fashionable, but they definitely have an edge to them. And they're going to open up your palate a little bit. You're going to smell things you've never smelled before. Yes. I like to say the easiest way to describe it's like, it's just kind. Josh: I think one of my favorite things about the Alloy Studios too is that the fragrances do have this very unique approach, but the copy and the art direction perfectly match that edge and really pull you into the world of the Alloy Studio. Michy: Okay. ⁓ I remember, you know, smelling first mods when you guys first came out and watching you grow over the past, like, three years has it been? Four years? It's been three years. The growth is, I mean, insane. I love watching people ⁓ get and discovering your brand for the first time. And just how far you've come in just the past three years is really, ⁓ you've incredible work and I love everything. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah. It's been three years. Yeah, it's been three. Michy: The, especially the recent photo shoots you guys have been doing, top notch. mean, chef's kiss, gorgeous, gorgeous work. Bryson & Eddie: Thank you. No, thank you so much. It's definitely been a journey and you're just like one of those people that's probably seen a little bit too much. Like the OG. It's been a journey. Thank you for being here with Michy: Yeah, listen, I mean, it's it's hard to I think in this industry to to grow to scale to and to really have your voice be so authentic in all of your work. And that's I think that's why I connect so much with everything that you're doing, because you're so unapologetically yourselves in everything. And I think it's really showing through and making people connect with you on a deeper level, which I love to see. Bryson & Eddie: Thank you. know. Yeah, we felt that over time. It's crazy to see what it's become. Michy: Hehehehe Josh: was going say, think that leads really well into one of our first questions for you, which was what felt important to you when it came to creating something that exists as boldly as the Alloy Studio does? Bryson & Eddie: I think we really just wanted to make something that actually appealed to our interests. Prior to having Aloy and just being like me, I was really new to the perfume world at the time. This was like 2020. It was like late 2022, early 2023 when we thinking about it. And I was just looking at the brands that were popular at the time. And I just felt like I had ideas. was like, okay, well, what if they did this? So I think really we just wanted to like express our own ideas and for things that we feel like other brands weren't trying to put in front of us or like speak to us, you know? I know, especially for you. Yeah, I remember like our first time kind of like going perfume shopping. We just moved to New York second of like 2021. Yeah. And we went to like 80s and we went to like Nordstrom because they're like the places to go for perfume. So and yeah, I remember just like kind of Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: being there a little bit like okay like I'm missing something like I really did want something more from some of the fragrance that was out there and so then I think it was just really funny when me and Bryson just thought about making this together and like really bringing our two voices together into it as well. Michy: What kinds of like experience environments and like moments ⁓ do you shape your work? Bryson & Eddie: It can literally be anything and I say that because it ⁓ spans from so many things like fine art has inspired us before. ⁓ like fantasy, like TV shows, movies have inspired us before, like real life moments that I just feel are, you know, real, like smoking the backs of your car and covering up with perfume. But for some reason, that's such a thing that feels kind of like, oh, like, we talk about that? You know? So I feel like we just look at everything that we can kind of find beauty. or inspiration in. I feel like it can come from anywhere, literally, if you want to see it in all furrow. Michy: then. I specifically love selling silver haze to people for that reason, for telling them that the explanation of the fragrance and watching the light bulb go off for them. they're like, ⁓ yeah, it really does look like that. Bryson & Eddie: It's fucking yarrick sometimes. Josh: What are some of the inspirations for the different fragrances in the collection? Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ well for, yeah, Silver Haze, it's like that real memory of me and Eddie smoking in the backseat of my car after I had just picked him up. And then covering it up with perfume. ⁓ So we're not, know, goofing as we walk around. And then for ⁓ Idyllic, it's literally just like an amalgamation of like memories of summer in the Midwest specifically, because I feel like it just hit a very specific way where it's... ⁓ the sun is going down and you have the heat of the day and then it's also really crisp and cool because you're by the lake. And then things that we imagine too, like a faux, it's like this abandoned boudoir that someone's just stumbled into and they kind of just made a mess in all the makeup and the fur coats that were there. Yeah, it's just like literally anything, real things or imagined things. Josh: There's something about Faux that makes me think of the Lady Chablis. ⁓ Just something about it, it comes off this very like regal, you definitely get the fur coat. yeah, like the first time it was right when you launched the fragrance, I smelled Faux and Luster. And yeah, Faux very much has the like, the champagne is burnt, like vibe about it. Just like this rich bitch kind of energy that I really enjoy. Bryson & Eddie: No, seriously. Michy: No. Bryson & Eddie: That's what we wanted it to feel like. That's what was in our mind the entire time we were concepting. And I'm it came out the way we wanted it Michy: And then Luster, I don't know if ⁓ know this, but has converted Josh into a Gorman girly. ⁓ Bryson & Eddie: So I've heard, which is so crazy. Well, honestly, makes sense. It does make sense. Because I'm also not a gourmand person. So I feel like when I was making it, I was coming at it from an angle of not trying to make a gourmand that I've smelled already and just one that I would actually want to wear. So we see each other. I'm glad. Josh: Yeah, I mean, it opens very Thanksgiving holiday baking spice gourmand, but the dry down where you get those spices lingering and then the almost caramelized muskiness in the base is sublime. I adore it. Michy: Yeah. funny, I think some of the best gourmand fragrances have come from the perfumers that told me that they don't like gourmands. Bryson & Eddie: What is that? What is another one you feel? Michy: just talked about it last week. It was by Andrea Mack. Yeah. Yeah. And she hates gourmands. But so she wanted something ⁓ Josh: Yep. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah, I do really like jazz, so that's... Michy: ⁓ I hate the word elevated. We use it so much, but an elevated gourmand. ⁓ And she made something damn sexy. And you made incredibly sexy luster also. ⁓ So I appreciate it. Bryson & Eddie: Right. Thank you, thank you. I just try to make it feel less foodie, because I personally don't want to like smell like food, but you want to think food, you know, smell it, if that makes sense. More of a texture thing, I feel. Michy: Mm. Mm-hmm. Josh: Mm-hmm. Michy: It does, it has a lot of texture in it. feels almost like there's like, I like, can feel the flaky crust in it a lot. And it also feels like there is like this crystallized, like almost burnt sugar on it as well. ⁓ so good. So good. Bryson & Eddie: Mm-hmm. Josh: Yeah, Luster is one of those ones that my friend Alex, whenever he stays over, I'll hear a cap open from like down the hallway and I'm like, ⁓ he's putting on Luster. Like, I just, know which one this is going to be. Michy: ⁓ are there any influences that feel difficult to explain your work? Bryson & Eddie: Definitely Afro-Cerilism and sometimes Blaxploitation. But for us, those are two really big sources of inspiration, just because they're Black American art movements. And I feel like there's a lot of value in keeping them alive and adding on to them as you do with any art movement so that it can continue to become something else over time. ⁓ Michy: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah, Afro-Ceruleanism can feel hard to explain because a lot of people don't know what it is. And I guess like the shortest way I can explain it is that it just gives meaning to the contemporary Black aesthetic and lifestyle. Like it just shows a more alternative side of Black creativity. Josh: It's interesting that you bring up blaxploitation as well because I definitely get that vibe from like the color of the brand, that very specific seventies orange. And then the font choice is very like blackula. ⁓ So I didn't know that that was one of your inspirations, but that definitely was a vibe that I pick up from the brand. Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: Yes, absolutely. It's like you said, like the bright, unmissable color and the bold, unmissable font was just, those were two really important parts of blaxploitation. ⁓ Graphic design for movies when they were showing at theaters. Because it was they were trying to get people in to watch it like the posters lined up outside of the movie theater We're just so bold compared to other movie posters people felt like ⁓ they had to go see what that was about, know, so that's kind of why we chose such like Impactful elements like our color and I thought so you're like without even knowing too, which is crazy Michy: Yeah. Josh: Yeah, yeah. And if any of the listeners or viewers are unfamiliar with blaxploitation, it a cinematic movement in the early 70s around centering black people as protagonists in often kind of violent movies and inspired everything from hip hop to Quentin Tarantino to the modern action genre. So definitely worth researching if you're a cinephile at all. Michy: you how does balancing creating this brand together? ⁓ How does that ⁓ how does that live in your relationship? does that affect dynamic? Has it helped you grow together in any way? Bryson & Eddie: For sure. It's like such a big part of our relationship because we're kind of at, especially this year, but also the whole time. It's just been a huge part of how we spend our day together and what we talk about too. And it's just like... Michy: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: There's the upside, which is making things and creating something. And both of us have ideas that are like coming out to be expressed and blended together. The other upside is like actually running the business of it all and shipping out orders and making sure stuff is fulfilled and flying across the country to go to trade shows. Like there's it takes up a lot of yeah, like us in our relationship for sure. Well, I know. I feel like it comes to a point where it also just feels natural to us. And like this is our life and we're really accustomed to making this and continuing to like build this up as well. So it doesn't feel like too much of like a hassle. Yeah, we did this on purpose. Yeah. Josh: ⁓ when we to Mitty, ⁓ kind of, they ⁓ built the around ⁓ one of a perfumer, one of them's a creative, and then they have to kind of share that business side. How do you all kind of divide, ⁓ or at think of yourselves in inside? Bryson & Eddie: That's a good question. mean, definitely, I make the perfume, you know, and I feel like I'm the one that like props up my tripod and like, okay, let me talk to the people about the brand so people can find out about this, you know. And then Eddie does a lot of stuff that's unseen. Like, Eddie does all of the operations of it all. Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: shipping out orders and helping people when their stuff gets lost. Also creative directing or photo shoots. ⁓ I mean, we've split up the business really well. And I think also just me and Bryson, our background, we came from working in retail. So we have that understanding of how to run a business. So when you're working for someone, you have that understanding of, OK, take what they did successfully, put into what we're doing. So I think it kind of has that element to it too. Yeah, for sure. Josh: I love that you make the perfume, ⁓ Bryson and Eddie, you're the creative director on the photoshoot, because they really do exist in the same world. It shows how connected you are on a creative level, Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: mean, half of, even though I make the perfume, Eddie's ideas are like most of the perfumes. Like, Luster was Eddie's idea. I do have to fight for them. of the time. Luster was not originally Luster. That was... I don't even remember. Yeah, it was just like a spicy amber or something. And then Eddie was like, you should make like a sweet potato fritters. And I was like, okay. I think like the biggest one as well was like Kinesis, the Florida Water Inspiration one. That one never even started off as that. It was like similar. It was like an onsen type of fragrance. Yes. Do you guys know Chris Undy, right? Of Colbert Harry. I was talking to him briefly. I was like, I wanted to do an onsen fragrance. I think we were at Fumed actually, and he was at our table. I was showing him Kinesis. Josh: Okay. Mm-hmm. Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: And I was telling him like, this started off as an onsen fragrance, because I know he has onsen mineral, ⁓ which I now own because we traded. ⁓ But you know, it's like Eddie's ideas are all throughout Alloy. I kind of just am the executor and Eddie's like the thinker as well. Michy: Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah. Eddie, do you enjoy being more like behind the scenes and not the not in front and not the influencer side of things? Bryson & Eddie: Definitely. Rice and oregano, he tried to get me on social media. I'm like, no, I'm fine. I don't have nothing to say. I'm like, me in the bag. I got it. Josh: Well, thank you for being willing to come on with us. At least. Bryson & Eddie: So, yeah. Michy: Yeah, very appreciative. Josh: Talking to that world building of the Alloy Studios, we were just saying from the packaging, the art direction, the copy, the font, that bold orange, what were you hoping people felt or understood about your point of view before even opening or smelling anything? Bryson & Eddie: I mean, I think I really wanted people to like see the brand and like take up space as well. And I think when you choose those big colors and those bold statements and just, you know, everything's just grand. you you just really claim your space. And I think that's what I really wanted for alloy because you were just like so young when we first started as well. And then again, just being black, being queer and putting the face, you know, and putting that face to perfume and stuff like that. I really wanted to just be like bold and take up a space for the recognition period of it. Yeah. So at East Point, we were 21 when we first started talking about alloy and like concepting it. ⁓ Michy: Wow. Bryson & Eddie: So I think our approach to the branding reflects that. You like we chose that big bright orange, which from a color psychology point of view, cause I'm obsessed, it's the most polarizing color, which we liked. Like you're going to like, you hate orange or you love orange. People feel the most, they feel most strongly about orange as a color. ⁓ And we kind of just like adopted that philosophy when we first started. We were like, you know, we made this brand because we feel like other things are boring. So we cannot be boring, which means people are going to love it or they're going to hate it. And we have to be okay with either. So I feel like every branding decision we made came down to that. It's just like trying to stand out and rub people a certain way Michy: in I the answer to this is clear, but is there ever times where you feel that you feel pressure to transition the LA studio into something that's more easily consumed? Bryson & Eddie: I mean, yes and no, actually. ⁓ I think we have really big goals and dreams in mind for Alloy. We have a lot we want to do. And realistically, in order to do that, we have to be in front of so many more people than we already are. However, there's just like no way we could ever abandon. what AOLI has become and why it exists. That's always going to be there. So it's kind of a double-edged sword. We have big goals in mind. We just hope that they happen while allowing us to be who we are. ⁓ And I feel like sometimes that makes things take a lot longer. that's why, ⁓ baking versus microwaving. And I think AOLI's are Michy: Mm-hmm. Josh: I'm Bryson & Eddie: our rice into like this is the smallest that we're ever gonna be. Like every month I feel like that we remind ourselves that because it's just like we're continuously growing and like Michelle you even like pointed it out like it's been three years and you've seen us from the beginning and you know like we have just really grew a lot and again we're just microwaving it right now. ⁓ Michy: Yeah, yeah. I remember when you guys first made your TikTok and started talking about, you know, ready, you know, we need something different in the fragrance space. And I was like, yes, follow immediately. I want to know more. Bryson & Eddie: No. Yeah. Michy: how do the sense and like visual storytelling and copy come together for you? How does that work? Bryson & Eddie: I think it usually starts with like what we want to say because since we always release in a duo So we're always releasing a collection. We haven't released anything that's like a one-off So with our collections, we always have something that we want to say or just want to spotlight highlight talk about it more So I think we always kind of like start from there and then it's like everything kind of just gets really roughly thought of it's like okay What fragrances are we missing from the lineup or like what scents or profiles? or also what do we want to see or what do we want to see for us. So it starts off just like kind of rough idea of concept and then like rough idea of like fragrances. And then again, throughout the time they do get like changed a lot. They get mixed, they get edited and yeah, it's kind of like a myth, like a mashup of everything. Yeah, I feel like definitely the biggest thing is like, are we trying to say? You know, because I feel like after Idyllic and Silver Haze released, that was when we were like, okay, every collection after this one, what are we trying to say? Like, what is the point? Because Idyllic and Silver Haze is kind of just like, we thought they were cool, you know? But we want, you know, there to have meaning behind what we're releasing. Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: Because we don't just release stuff just to release it, you know a lot of Efforts and time goes into releasing a collection. So I think it's really just about what do we want people to take away from this collection? For fluorescence, which is kinesis and hypnotic nectar, we wanted to show that the Aoi Studio is in bloom, you know? And that we've grown from being just silver haze and idyllic, because those were our only two fragrances for two years out of our three years. So I feel like we were just known so much for that youthful, fruity, sweet, crazy style. So we just wanted to show growth in the second collection. And then the third collection, to show that ⁓ who we are matters and is always going to matter for the brand and it's like at the forefront with Afrodisiac. Just being like a showcase of Afro surrealism. So yeah definitely what do we want to say? Michy: ⁓ Josh: There's also something a little editorial about the way it's always a silver and gold in each collection. What kind of inspired that as a dynamic for each duo? Bryson & Eddie: Mmm, yeah. Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: It's supposed to represent, it does represent my ideas versus Eddie's ideas in fragrance. And like our style in perfume as well, our taste and like what we like to wear. And I feel like it's a really subtle way to like honor like ourselves in the brand without it being like so obvious, you know? And we both kind of get what we want that way. Because that can be the challenging thing is just like making something with someone. It's just like you both want your thing to be the thing. Which is why there's always two, because we both have an idea that needs to be expressed. Or like, know, perfume that we want for ourselves. Michy: ⁓ you releasing Florescence? Because I feel like you're original to, ⁓ Florescence ⁓ such departure from that in all the best ways possible, but was there any sort of fear in releasing that second set and taking things really in ⁓ such really interesting and different direction at the time? Bryson & Eddie: I honestly was just really excited. I was like, I can't wait for these perfumes to come out, you know? Because I feel like, especially with that collection, it was in development for around a year. And then we were kind of just like waiting to release them for like four or five months. And I felt like I could not shut up about them because I was just so excited for people to see that like we can give you something different, you know? Michy: Yeah. Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: We wanted it to be like a sharp left turn in the first collection. And I think we did like bring it up multiple times. I'm like, oh my God, what if you really see then like everyone hates it. And it's like, that's because it's like, it's so different from what we were known for for the first two. So to come up with like florals, but. Michy: Mm. Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: Again, think people have always told us that we always made it very like alloy. And then it's like, you know, cause it's like floral that you don't really see a lot or just different because I have like a mushroom note and ylang ylang. So just figured like different type of fragrances that are still floral. So. Yeah. Like, I don't know. It was equal parts being nervous, but also like, I feel like we got this because what other perfumes have Nayuli and white rose absolute in them. It's like a rare. So I knew people would see it as like cool. Michy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's and to this day, I still haven't smelled any florals that even come close to being similar to kinesis and hypnotic nectar. I personally adore hypnotic nectar. I'd love to know a little bit more behind your inspiration behind that one. Bryson & Eddie: You speak on this. That's one of Eddie's ideas. Well, I think overall for like the florescence collection, overall, think I really wanted it to be more like our spiritual collection. And again, talking about race into like growing up as well from the first collection. But I was just really inclined to like spirituality as a whole for that collection. So those kind of like how those two fragments came to be. ⁓ But for hypnotic nectar specifically, I just really felt like a shaman and just like super gorgeous and just like have wooden bangles. Michy: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ And I also wanted something that was like this probably like an overused word too, but just like unisex in a way I like I just like green fragrances. Sometimes they're not like I feel like they pull more masculine and for me my issue with fragrances I just hate masculine fragrances like for me personally So yeah, so I just kind of wanted to this beautiful green mushroom. We have very medicinal as well ⁓ Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: and it was super medicinal the first version and then we calmed it down a bit. But yeah, so it kind of came out to be just like that. Just super beautiful shaman in the woods and she's making you a beauty potion and that's kind of going back to like the spiritual aspect of it as well. Josh: I would say, ⁓ hypnotic nectar. The only thing I actually have smelled that comes close and I would say it's like a not related in any way. just has a very similarly, very interesting presentation of like a green floral is you probably think this scent is about you by the foolish unlimited. It's a new, new brand. just gushed about them in the previous episode, but we just got samples of them and I was struck. Michy: Mm. Yeah. Josh: It's rare for me to like really love a floral. And I was struck by just how bizarre and entrancing that one is. And I would say hypnotic nectar falls in that same category for me where I'm like, I don't wear florals, but I'm super into this one. Bryson & Eddie: No, I definitely need to check them out. The website looks cool. Michy: Yeah, I will. I'll bring my sample next time. Your next time you're coming to the store, let me know. bring it with me. ⁓ Yeah, I mean, Josh and I are big, big fans of anything mushroom. So that winds us that winds us over every time I will live and die on the hill that mushroom fragrances are sexy, including hypnotic nectar. Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: Absolutely. Josh: Yeah, that's true as Bryson & Eddie: I think it's so cool. That's like how I can do Petrocore in Earth, because I'm not like an earthy green person. So mushroom just kind of like, it takes it there. It makes it a little more savory to me in a way. Josh: Mm-hmm. I don't like super masculine fragrances. ⁓ And Daddy by Universal Flowering is kind of exception because it's this like very soft masculinity. It's like very ⁓ handsome, but tender at the same time with that like porcini. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah. Yeah, he wears lotion, but he is really huge. Like, it's a really good fragrance. I love that one. Michy: Mm-hmm. you So how do you people approach work differently because of how you present the brand? Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ I feel like it can definitely repel people and also make people that probably aren't super interested in fragrance even more interested. I mean, repelling people just because at our core like we're black and queer, someone is going to see like all the blackness and all the gayness and probably not be into it. But on the flip side, someone's going to see that and be really into it. So I feel like just because of how we exist and how we've chosen to, you know, Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: like present the brand. Alloy Studio is gonna make people feel a certain way either way. ⁓ Michy: Yeah. And I feel like if it repels them, then that's fine. Then it's not for them. Bryson & Eddie: Exactly, it's just like, all right, it's not for you, D.H.A.L.E. That's great, you know? It's fine, seriously. Michy: yet. ⁓ Josh: Right. That, ⁓ I know I brought it up on a different episode, but there was the video ⁓ of you responding to someone talking about them waiting for a dupe of your fragrance. And it was just that idea that like, no one will ever be able to dupe the alloy studios because you're gonna lose the essence of what makes it so special. You could copy it ingredient by ingredient and you're never gonna have the impact on the story. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ yeah. It's not gonna hit the same. Like it's just not, there's no way. Like I can say that confidently, also partially because since I'm a like self-taught perfumer, even to this day, I look at my formulas, I'm like, what the fuck is that? You know, so I feel like there's no way that like quirkiness can be taken out of it. And if it is taken out, then it's not gonna be the same. Josh: Yeah, there's definitely, I think the word I would use for it is like, ⁓ dynamicism. There is forever this push and pull and polarity within the Alloy Studios. Bryson & Eddie: Mm-hmm. Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: Mm-hmm. Josh: Do you approach a new fragrance or a new collection even with the visual direction, with the scent or the concept first? And how do they all come together? Bryson & Eddie: I think it starts first with a character. As we've grown and been able to do photo shoots, we've fully realized the direction that we want for the brand and how we want to communicate our fragrances visually and through words. the character is like the model that we're going to be shooting the campaign for. We literally first start with thinking, okay, like who is this person? What are they doing? What is around them? ⁓ And then when you go to our copy, that's exactly reflected because we kind of... Explain our perfumes through elements and scene. The scene is where you're at, what's going on, what's happening. The elements are all of the things in that scene that are present. You know, it's like leather car seats, weed, strawberry perfume, silver haze is the entire scene, you know? So yeah, I think it starts first with that character. What are you doing in this world and what's around you? And then everything else comes after that. Michy: Your fragrances ⁓ and brand bring me a lot of joy ⁓ because me, ⁓ the that I connect with the most are the brands that are so unapologetically who they are. ⁓ And love how ⁓ unapologetically your brand reads. ⁓ But for me. Where do you think joy comes up in your fragrances? Bryson & Eddie: I think it shows up in all throughout the process really like when we're concepting and we're like thinking of these ideas and we're like, ⁓ my God, bitch, like that is like, that's the one. ⁓ And then when we start making the first mods for fragrance and we actually get to like smell the idea and see like how we feel about it. Michy: Yeah. Mm-hmm Bryson & Eddie: doing the photo shoots, being on set is like crazy. And I think the photo shoots are always super fun too. That's like that kind of We like to have a good time. And then show them the fragrance and the visuals and stuff. But it's always really fun with the photo shoots. Yeah, they're lit. then, yeah, we find joy in being at fragrance expos and meeting real people just out in the world in general that are smelling and engaging with our fragrances and getting to talk to people. feel like... Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: There's a lot of upsides, honestly. Just like love the whole process of it. Michy: Yeah. Yeah, specifically the photo shoot for Lustre, I feel like it belongs on the cover of Vogue. That one was so, I mean, I felt happy looking through it and smelling it. It just exudes happiness and joy, think, Lustre specifically. Josh: It is very lovely. I also think the photo shoot for Faux, like that's drag, honey. I love it. It sends me like, I've made a TikTok about it randomly. I used to help like host drag shows and stuff in college. An ex of mine was ⁓ a drag performer. I helped them with multiple numbers. Like I'm instantly back into my early twenties and I'm like, that's drag. I love this. Bryson & Eddie: No, I'm really sorry. because the model for faux is straight as well. I thought they were queer, honestly. I really did. And then I was in their makeup. Oh, so do you have a partner? And they're like, oh, I have a girlfriend. I'm like, oh, wait, are you straight? Then you're like, yeah. And I was like, oh, OK. I was like, well, now you got to put on a wig, nails, makeup. Heels. Yeah, heels as well. A dress. Like, you're getting into that. No, exactly. I was like, yeah. Michy: I Josh: right Michy: Listen, we love somebody's comfortable. Love it. Is there a difference between being seen and being explained? Bryson & Eddie: For sure, I feel like a lot of people can see you, but only a very small amount of people, depending on who you are and what you're doing, are gonna truly understand you and be able to communicate who you are to other people as well. know, like it's that level of, I don't know. Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: Closest word I can think is like a literacy of sorts when people like really truly understand you just like how you can be fluent in a language or you can be like literate in a language. ⁓ be like explained and understood is it just takes a lot more it takes a deeper level of understanding I feel like is only going to happen with a certain amount of people. Josh: I think it's really fair. And what does it meant for the two of you for your work to be recognized on its own terms without having to be explained? Bryson & Eddie: I'm very grateful for it and it's really surreal. it's hard to, I don't know, like. even understand sometimes. And I feel like I've been trying to come to terms with that for such a long time. Even when I still have my day job and I was working at a perfume store, would just, people would come up to me like almost on a daily basis, like, ⁓ I've seen your perfumes. I liked XYZ. And I'm like, that's so weird. Like I'm at the counter at work right now and you've like smelled my stuff, you know? It's kind of an, or it's just like, I hear of people that will be gifting something Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: to a family member or like I hear that they have a friend come over that likes to steal their stuff. I'm just like, it makes me realize that our, things we make are like really out in the world. And it's just, I don't know, it's so hard to like wrap your head around that. And then I think it's crazy to think that like people even like love it as well. Like, like it, and then like love it. I'm like, oh damn, like. At first, it was like a lot of imposter syndrome. It's like, you like it? And now it's just, yeah, it's just like, it's happened so often that it's kind of, you can't feel like it's, you know, the rug isn't going to get snatched from under us, you know? So, you know, it's a really weird feeling. Michy: Yeah. Josh: Alright. Yeah, the admiration is real. Michy: Yeah. Yeah. it's funny you like people coming up to you at when you were at your other job, and that's exactly how we met in person for the first time. ⁓ So ⁓ so Bryson invited to the store. This was during ⁓ during a time where there was events happening and to like come to a video of the stores was new and. Bryson & Eddie: Get us. Michy: I didn't make the connection when I got your email, but then when I walked in, was like, ⁓ my God, wait a minute. And I was trying so hard to be professional because I'm like, wait, I don't want to hear about this brand. I want to know more about your brand. Like, let me let me put on my professional, like, let me be a content creator, do what I came here to do. But really, like, I want it. I want to know more about LA Studio at that point. Bryson & Eddie: What a lyrical. ⁓ Josh: You Bryson & Eddie: Which is so crazy. mean, I just had, you know, like I was, I had a lot of pride in like not trying to solicit. I'm like, you know, I'm not going to like please ma my stuff while I'm at work. So for like people to like make that connection and like start the conversation on their own was really crazy to me. I was like, please talk to me about this though. Michy: Yeah. we know that being an independent perfumer and having your own brand, there's definitely a lot less pressure ⁓ you from say like funders or anything of that nature, but do you ever feel like the industry, ⁓ the machine of the perfume industry ⁓ makes it hard to hold on to your voice? Bryson & Eddie: I feel like if we wanted it to, it could, but we kind of just like feel like we're on our own island. You know, I feel like we don't really engage with the industry at large. We kind of just like do our own thing. We release our stuff. We post what we want to post. Michy: Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: try to do our own events and just like, you know, get people together. We just do our own thing. So everything's copesthetic, you know? Michy: Yeah. And there's no event quite like an alloy studio event. They are. ⁓ Bryson & Eddie: Period. They're lids. ⁓ Josh: I mean it is worth the plug. We were just finishing set up for Fumed like minutes before the door opened and the event space asked Kyle, I happen to be standing beside him, he was like, you know, do you have a playlist or something we can play? And Kyle went, I know someone, let me go get Bryson. Bryson & Eddie: Let us know. You came up to me and you were like, have a really important favor to ask you. And I was like, what's going on? It's just like, oh, you have music. And I was like, yes, like absolutely. Oh, love to hear it. Michy: You asked the right person. I mean, you even had like the last event, you had a time to like to the minute each song. Josh: Right, exactly. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ no, we're like, yes. When we do our events, we like to work with our friend Tarell ⁓ at ethereal.ai. He's not AI though, he's real. He does all of our music for us when we do our events. ⁓ We'll just give him like a playlist of songs and we're like, we at this time, we want there to be a pause because we know we're gonna have to like do a speech. And he's just like a really... Michy: yet. Bryson & Eddie: good musician and he like understands our vibe and I feel like that's like hard to come by. So because we just have such a specific, I don't know, we're very specific people. That's the best way I can put it. Michy: Yeah. Yeah, it matches the vibe. You mentioned AI and it just reminded me that somebody in a video recently was accusing you of using AI in your photos. no, no, no, you had posted responding to somebody about it. And that couldn't be further from the truth, which is so ridiculous to me because I'm like, are, I feel like people can't tell the difference anymore between AI and Photoshop. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ is this one that I haven't seen? ⁓ yeah. I think. Yeah. Michy: And it's very frustrating, but I'm like, you are one of the one of the few brands out there that is really world building at a scale that's that's really difficult for a lot of indie brands to achieve. like, I understand that that's not in everybody's wheelhouse either. But I do want to shout you out for staying so true to not only building your brand, but building your images and supporting all different artists along the way. I think that's really important, especially in building this community around fragrance. and around artistry to continue to keep that alive. Bryson & Eddie: Thank you. Thank you. I love that you bring that up too, because I think when we first was building Alloy as well, we really wanted community to be a big part of Alloy. And I think that goes back to our friends helping us out, like Terrell, and making the music for all of our events. ⁓ And just the models that are all of our friends and things like that. So we really have built like this. very close knit community. again, I think that kind of goes back to, be really hard to replicate at Loy as well, because all of these specific people, they're integral to the brand as well. And they help us build it. Yeah, we just have, again, very specific things that we feel like need to be expressed. We cast a majority queer people in all of our campaigns. Eddie does all the makeup for the campaigns and created directs. I'm on set producing, which I never have content of because I'm literally running around and like putting sets together. But we just love doing it and we have the ideas so we just use it as a way to express ourselves really. It's like we love doing it though. There's no other reason that we do these campaigns. Seriously. Michy: Yeah. Josh: Yeah, there's just a lot of real authentic love that comes from the Alloy Studios. And I think that was really one of the pieces of this interview, was it just, it really shows through every fiber and aspect of the brand. Bryson & Eddie: Thank Thank you. Michy: Yeah, yeah, it feels it everything you do feels like a celebration of art of queer culture of black culture it everything feels like a joyous celebration all the time. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah, you. That's exactly what we want. I feel like there's more now, but especially when we first started, not a lot of people that look like us in the fragrance world. And if you really get into just being bigger and more recognized, you rarely see someone like us. ⁓ So we just really want to, I mean, it's... Michy: Mm. Mm-hmm. Bryson & Eddie: over said, but like take that space up. Like you can't miss us. You can't see us, you know, like we are people that have a community of people that are just like us that need to be able to see that you can literally be in any place you want to be. And I feel like that's what I'm at least like really passionate about is like, you will not miss us. Josh: you about the world of the Alloy Studios longer term, ⁓ is something on the horizon that you feel you're building towards? Bryson & Eddie: For sure. ⁓ Yeah, like we want, like we have really big goals in mind. Like we want a store eventually. We want stores eventually, you know? We want to, we want to like make all the things that we have in our mind that also aren't fragrance as well. And seeing how that fits into the world of Aloe. ⁓ But also even just especially for home like Michi, know, we have candles and like we want to build on our home fragrance because I feel like they were good. We just don't give it enough attention. Yeah, you know. Like. Got to bring them back, you know, and just like get back into home because I feel like that's at least something that's really important to us alongside perfume like we really probably like. Michy: Mm-hmm. They were. I burned through both of them completely. Yeah. Josh: I do love a good candle. Bryson & Eddie: light like 30 incense a day and Eddie's been working on incense for the past three years now so it's just like we would like to finally like do these things that we feel would be really cool. Michy: Mm-hmm. I would love like my house to smell like the alloy studio all the time. ⁓ What do you what you hope that people carry with them after experiencing the alloy studio? Bryson & Eddie: We're working on it. ⁓ I just hope people feel fabulous and just feel good about themselves too. ⁓ And understand that I hope it opens people's minds a little bit and helps them understand that fragrance can be a lot more than just like this thing that you wear can literally be a part of your identity. It can speak to who you are, what you stand for, how you want to show up in the world. ⁓ Because I feel like it matters. I feel like a lot of people can view fashion in that way. And I feel like fragrance is just as powerful. Yeah. And I feel like we get a lot of comments that people are saying like, ⁓ your fragrances feel too cool for me to wear. And I think that's always like so funny because it's like, no, like literally wear that and like be cool. Be cool. I think like fragrance is easier than like fashion. You know, like fashion, you're like literally uncomfortable in an outfit if you're not comfortable in the outfit, basically. ⁓ Michy: Mm. Josh: Be that cool. Yeah. Michy: Yay! Bryson & Eddie: So fragrance is just so much easier. Just be cool. You can wear it and have fun and just be cool. Perfume is invisible glamour. It's there for certain. You can feel it, but you just can't see it. And can make you feel so much more you if you want it to. Michy: Yeah. Josh: Invisible glamour definitely needs to be a perfume name. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah, thinking about it. Been thinking about it. Josh: there anything exciting coming up that you'd like to talk about? Bryson & Eddie: No, actually. I just we just wanted to like take a short hiatus after the release of Faux and Luster and just work on like fine tuning some things. You know, I feel like we'll definitely be introducing new things within the next year, but I don't think there'll be another fragrance collection until at least. Michy: Hahahaha! Bryson & Eddie: fall next year. You know, it's good. This is a lengthy break. That's like more, it's like a year and a half. Um, but exactly, like just want to make something when the idea is like fully baked and we feel really good about it. Um, but like I said, in the meantime, we'll just have other things that will kind of like expand what alloy is until we get new perfumes. Michy: Yeah. Yeah, but it's not a bad thing though. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. vibe very much with idea of like a slow perfumery. Like you don't need to have, I mean, we see this from the big brands, right? It's like 10 releases a year. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. ⁓ But even as an brand, ⁓ know, even at two releases every year, like catalog can grow ⁓ very, very quickly. ⁓ ⁓ it's ⁓ it feel like there are some that don't get love, there are some that fall off. I think because of the way that you build them, approaching them slower and building up to them and really taking the time to develop each personality of each fragrance and each story has more meaning than just having a constant flow of new releases. It feels like you're giving us time to live with them and connect with them. And it's not like... Bye, bye, Bryson & Eddie: also I feel like when you release fragrances too you kind of view your whole lineup differently as well. Yeah. I feel like when we launched idyllic I would never wear idyllic and then since we have launched all of our fragrances I'm like okay I like idyllic now and I do wear her sometimes. But I feel like it's like a whole different vibe when you see like your whole with all six fragrances together. It's just kind of you just see things differently, too. Yeah. And it's exactly as you said, especially since we released two. It's like it can build up a lot because we went from two to four to six. Like we've tripled the amount of perfumes we have in the past year. So just want to chill out a little bit. Read those nachos. They're not still there. Michy: Yeah Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No. Josh: I'm really excited to hear about these other things, these non-fragrance things, when you're ready for those to be talked. Bryson & Eddie: Absolutely, they will they will hit the streets soon really definitely this year Michy: are fragrances, either your own or others that you're living with right now? Bryson & Eddie: I just got a perfume from Stel. I got Bulgarian Rose by Chameleon Perfumery. Love, obsessed. It's so good. Very good. Yes, really, really cute. Eddie had got me Bast from Auntie for anti-Auntie for Valentine's Day. So I've been wearing that from Stel. And then... Michy: I love that packaging. Bryson & Eddie: I've also been wearing snooze from Sirius Parfum a lot. love that. ⁓ Love snooze. Zoe's such a good perfumer. ⁓ We have more stuff on the way. I just got a big haul. I spell parakeet at stale. Okay, gotta get a bottle of that. parakeet. Michy: Yeah, as he loves Zoe. Josh: great one. Michy: So good. Yeah. Josh: It's really interesting that people love parakeet. It is a striking fragrance. Bryson & Eddie: Yeah, it's ⁓ I was telling Eddie that I'm like this is out there so I'm shocked you like it, but he's like no this is great Michy: It is. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ Michy: that was actually the one when I brought, ⁓ I had done photos for Zoe a couple of years ago and I brought them into the guys ⁓ I was done shooting them. And I'm like, I feel like you would, would vie with these. They loved parakeet immediately. And that one was like the most challenging for me because I find grapefruit really difficult. Matt was obsessed with parakeet. So that was, that was the in for Zoe. ⁓ Bryson & Eddie: you That's crazy, but makes a lot of sense. Really, it's a really cool fragrance. Like it literally smells like feathers, which is so strange to me. anyway. Michy: Yes. So ⁓ I ⁓ just got something in, I got, Mischief Academy, the new matcha potion. Yeah. I'm digging that. ⁓ it's a really interesting, ⁓ more powdery, more green matcha that I'm quite enjoying. I like something a little, a little grassy. It is this cute teeny tiny little bottle. ⁓ Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ Michy: What else am I vibing with recently? ⁓ I also picked up, ⁓ Cleopatra, their newest release. ⁓ It will be back soon. It's a really like, bitter almond, sweet almond, jasmine. ⁓ I get a lot of black. Bryson & Eddie: I wanted to smell that, it wasn't at Stel when I got it. Michy: pepper from it, which is really interesting. And I really like it layered with bast. Yeah, I feel like they I feel like they go together. Yeah, those are those are two interesting ones this week. Bryson & Eddie: I want you to see. Okay, yes. Josh: have to say Bost is very very good. It's a very good incense. ⁓ I feel like I smelled through them initially and I liked Bost and Nashi Toro, but the Duke's Carpet I have now gone through my sample of. That is that was an underdog for the collection for me. Michy: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I would purchase Nashi Toro and Duke's Carpet as well. think those are my two of my favorites from the brand. I have Bast, but my husband stole it. He the one that he likes to like spray on the bed, like when he changes the sheets now. And I'm like, this is this is a little bit much for the sheets guy. ⁓ But ⁓ he ⁓ He is ⁓ ⁓ He more fragrance before I was. He he's always had the collection. Yeah. And now my ⁓ collection has become collection, but he won't take from my cabinet. ⁓ yeah. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ he's fabulous. I love him. ⁓ my god. Josh: I love that bow. Bryson & Eddie: ⁓ yeah, I was gonna say, I know he loves the collection. Michy: He won't take from my cabinet. Like I have to put it on the, I have to put it in the middle because he gets overwhelmed with the amount of choice, but it doesn't like, I'll test sometimes, but he's very weird. He needs to match his bottle to his outfit. So if it's a scent profile, I know he'll love, but the bottle is purple and he never wears purple. I have to like decant it to like convince him. Bryson & Eddie: Laughter Love it. ⁓ my god, I love it. Michy: He's a little bit of a diva. So tell us, where can people find you? Where can they find your products? Bryson & Eddie: As it should be, please pour the emote. Josh: Yeah. Bryson & Eddie: You can find us at the Alloy Studio on every social media platform. And then you can find our products and all the things we make on thealloystudio.com. You can find them in New York at Stell, both locations. You can find them now in Portland at the Marie Marie. Michy: Mm-hmm. Yes! Josh: Yay! Bryson & Eddie: can find us in Chicago at Squash and Chi Mi. And yeah. Michy: Eddie, Bryson, thank you so, much for joining us today. It's been a pleasure chatting with you. We can't wait to see where the Alloy Studio goes. ⁓ can't wait to see the home products and we can't wait to live with your fragrances a little bit longer. ⁓ Bryson & Eddie: Exactly. Thank you so much for having us. Thank you. you. Josh: Yeah, thank you. Michy: Thank you guys.