Each week in Indie Perfume Brand Spotlight, we question different brands to find out more about their brand and the people behind it. This time we question Jono Bornstein from Folkwinds.
About You
Tell us who you are?
My name is Jono Bornstein. I grew up in New Rochelle, New York, in the shadow of New York City. I went to school at Kenyon College in Gambier Ohio where I acquired a BA in Drama.
How did you get into the perfume industry?
After college, I packed up my life and moved to Napa, California where I started working at wineries in the cellar, and fell in love with the fine wine world, and winemaking. During the pandemic, under lockdown, I turned to niche perfume to keep my nose occupied (rather than drinking wine every day.) That’s when I fell down the rabbit-hole. I haven’t left since.
What was the first perfume you ever purchased?
When I was in middle school, my mother took me to macys and let me pick one perfume to wear as my signature scent. I chose Obsession for men by Calvin Klein, and wore it all the way through my senior year of high-school.
What is your favourite meal?
Tacos. Baja fish tacos.
Where is your favourite place?
That’s a tough one; I’ll have to give two answers. Within the United States, Glacier National Park is my paradise (and the inspiration for Cloud Illusions). Outside of the United States: The Val Gardena in South Tyrol.
Do you have an interesting party trick or any hidden talents?
Ha! I founded an A cappella group in college if that counts? I also have cat-like-reflexes, and can hyper-extend my thumb.
Who would play you in a film of your life?
I’d love to say Bill Hader.
About your Brand
Describe your brand in one sentence.
Perfumes inspired by Americana folk music, art and culture.
Where does the name of your brand come from?
Folk, as in of the people, winds as in representing nature’s beauty.
Who are your perfumes for?
My perfumes are for folks who love spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature.
Tell us about your latest perfume.
All three of my initial releases are the results of years of study, and months and months of reformulations.
If someone wanted to try your fragrances, which one would you recommend they try first and why?
I would recommend they try Cloud Illusions first. It’s the composition I’m most proud of, and feel can appeal to everyone.
What challenges do you want to overcome for your brand?
When I started folkwinds, my gal was to source everything out of North America. I quickly learned that would not be possible. (For instance, there are no perfume glass bottle manufacturers willing to produce bottles on such a small scale for me). Still, it remains a long term goal of mine to make sure every single aspect of Folkwinds is sourced and produced in North America.
What is unique about your brand?
I believe I’m one of the few new natural focused artisans willing to forgo the ~oud/muskflorals~ trend to focus on a different facet of aromatics, those being primarily North American ones. Additionally, I’m willing to bend and break the traditional rules of perfumery in order to create the best compositions possible, combining fermentations, hand-made absolutes, with vintage inspired synthetic materials (such as nitro-musks).
Find out more about Folkwinds at https://www.folkwinds.com
