Oscar Emil on Bottling First Love at Seventeen
Some stories aren’t written, they’re felt. And Oscar Emil tells his through scent. At just 17 years old, Oscar Hedegaard, known through his eponymous label Oscar Emil, is reshaping the conversation around scent with a voice that is both disarmingly honest and artistically bold.
His debut line, The Love Collection, defies convention. It’s an emotional archive, a deeply personal expression captured in perfume. Each fragrance is a chapter in a coming-of-age story, where memory, vulnerability, and fantasy converge. Every bottle evokes an atmosphere. Each note carries a feeling made tangible. From the nostalgic comfort of First Love to the enigmatic confidence of Second Persona, Oscar Emil invites us into a world where scent becomes storytelling and perfume speaks like poetry.
In this interview, he speaks candidly about the first scent that captured his heart, the creative obsession that became his brand, and the quiet power of trusting your intuition over following a formula. This is the voice of a new generation of perfumers, one that dares to feel deeply and create fearlessly.
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Do you remember the first scent that made you fall in love with fragrance?
I still remember it clearly. It was my dad’s Ralph Lauren Big Pony 1. I was little, maybe five or six. I didn’t know anything about fragrance, but I remember how it made me feel. It smelled like comfort, adventure, protection. Like coming home. That was the moment I realized scent could carry emotion, and not just smell nice. It stayed with me.
When did you first realize you wanted to create your own brand?
I always knew I wanted to build something that was mine. I didn’t know exactly what it would be at first, but I knew I wanted to create. The real moment came in October 2023, right after I left Cannes. I was full of emotion, and I had this deep need to turn that into something real. That’s when I knew I had found my purpose. I stopped waiting and started building.
The Love Collection is incredibly emotional. Why center your debut around something so personal and raw?
Because love is everything. It’s the one thing that connects all of us. It felt right to start with something real, something that makes people feel. I didn’t want to play it safe or follow a formula. I wanted to open with something bold. The Love Collection is about dreaming. It’s cinematic. It gives people a chance to step into the stories they’ve lived, or the ones they’ve only imagined.
Is each fragrance based on a real chapter of your own love life?
Some of it definitely is. I’ve poured a lot of my own emotions and experiences into the collection, but I also wanted to create something people could see themselves in. It’s inspired by my life, but it’s meant to feel universal. I think the best art does that. It comes from somewhere personal, but it invites others in.
You say this collection is your “heart bottled.” Can you walk us through how you translate emotion into scent?
It always starts with a feeling. A memory, a mood, something I want to relive or express. Then I start thinking about what that would smell like. I work closely with the perfumers and guide them using visuals, music, even my own writing. It’s like building a little world. Scent is so powerful because it brings you back to moments you thought you forgot. That’s what I wanted this collection to do. Not just smell nice, but move people.
And how involved were you in the actual formulation of each fragrance?
Completely involved. I pitched every concept, worked side by side with the perfumers, adjusted the notes until it felt right. I didn’t want to just approve things from a distance. I wanted to be in it. Every scent had to reflect the exact emotion I was trying to capture. I treated each one like a little piece of me.
What was the hardest scent to get right and why?
Second Persona. I had a really specific vision for it. I wanted it to feel like confidence walking into a room. Like mystery, elegance, power. I could see it so clearly in my head, but translating that into scent was a challenge. We spent months refining it, swapping notes, trying different versions. But in the end, it turned out exactly as I imagined. It’s one of the fragrances I’m most proud of.
You’ve chosen not to follow industry trends. What does “authentic perfumery” mean to you?
To me, authentic perfumery means storytelling. A scent should mean something. It should carry emotion, memory, atmosphere. I think we’re all tired of things that feel empty. When I create, I’m not just thinking about what smells good. I’m thinking about what makes people feel something real. A good perfume should feel like a story you can smell.
How do you balance being an artist and being a brand owner at such a young age?
Honestly, I think being young is a strength. People talk about age like it’s a disadvantage, but I think youth brings creativity, fearlessness, and vision. I don’t feel held back by it. I feel free. I’m still learning every day, especially on the business side, but I love it. I get to wake up and build something I believe in. That’s a gift.
Who would be your dream collaborator — fashion house, celebrity, or fellow perfumer?
Jacquemus, without a doubt. The way they bring emotion into everything they do is incredible. Their creativity, their visuals, their storytelling… it’s art. I’d love to create a fragrance with them. Something that smells like sunlight, summer, freedom, and love. That would be a dream come true.
Where do you see the Oscar Emil brand in five years?
I see Oscar Emil as one of the most creative and respected fragrance brands in the world. I want us to be known for pushing boundaries, for making people feel. Not just a perfume brand, but a movement. A place where emotion and artistry come together. That’s the future I’m building.
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Oscar is crafting portals; sensory doorways into emotion, memory, and meaning. With The Love Collection, he has offered more than a fragrance line… he has offered his heart, composed note by note and sealed in glass.
What makes his work so compelling is not just his age, but his clarity of vision. He is uninterested in chasing trends or pleasing algorithms. Instead, he creates to connect. To awaken something dormant. To remind us that the most powerful scents are the ones that come with stories attached.
As Oscar Emil continues to evolve, the industry would do well to pay attention. He is building a new language for perfume: one that speaks directly to the soul.
To explore The Love Collection and learn more about the Oscar Emil story, visit oscaremil.com or follow @oscaremilofficial on Instagram. Each scent is available online and through select stockists worldwide.
