Perfume, Place and the Rhythm of the Land
Perfumer, dairy farmer and chronicler of rural Vermont's seasons, Diane St. Clair guides us through the sensory map of her life. From the rhythms of her farm to the way the shifting weather leaves it trace in her perfumes. Here, in conversation, her reflections hold the texture of lived experience, each one steeped in the air and light of the place she calls home.
How do you come up with ideas for your perfumes?
My first three perfumes, First Cut, Gardeners Glove and Frost, centred on the Vermont
landscapes as well as the poet Robert Frost, who had a writing cabin twenty minutes from my farm. Other themes for my perfumes involve myths, visual arts, the role of women in culture and society, nature and the environment.
I often pair the release of my perfumes with original pieces of visual art. For many people, seeing art that represents the theme of my perfumes is an extra sensory cue to understanding the scent.
How does living in Vermont affect your perfumery?
I’ve lived in London, New York and Washington, DC. But I’ve always been a country girl at
heart. As a teenager, I rode horses and worked on dairy farms in the summer. I have a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University and worked in this field in New York City and later, in Burlington, Vermont. I felt the call to return to farming 25 years ago, when I moved to the farm that I live on, milking cows and making butter for Michelin star restaurants.
Working with the rhythm of Vermont’s four distinct seasons has impacted every aspect of how I view the world. It has highly specialised ecosystems which, I fear, are changing rapidly. I see this clearly on my farm, as temperatures warm, invasive species multiply, and wildfire smoke contaminates our air.
What does your day look like?
Even though I sold most of my cows and the creamery in 2022, I still get up at 5 AM. We feed our two remaining cows, walk the dog, and take a long walk or snow shoe. If it’s winter, we keep the wood stove cranking. If it’s summer, we open the doors to the cool breezes. Right now I’m working on edits to a cookbook I wrote “The Animal Farm Buttermilk Cookbook” that is being republished.
I will get out perfume orders, make sample packs, return queries about perfume, or order supplies, and then work on ongoing scent projects. We eat all our meals at home, often from food that we grow or raise, so meal times are an important part of the day.
How do you recharge?
These days, I’m reading some of my favourite women poets. The spirit of their verses are
holding me up and inspiring me to create. These poets include Emily Dickinson, Audre Lorde, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Anne Sexton, and Adrienne Rich.
