You don’t need to be an ENT specialist to understand that smell is the most transmitted of the human senses. Sure, listening to the right beach song can take you to your happy place, but nothing takes you back to a specific moment in time – or puts you in situations you’ve never been in – faster than. Fragrance. Triple-board-certified neurologist Leah Kroll, MD before this explained this incident Who wears what, explaining why smell has such a strong effect on memory because of its direct connection to the human brain.
“There is an incredibly short distance between the smell neurons in the nose and the emotional and memory centers in the brain,” she says. “No other senses get processed on that kind of ‘expressway.’ The result is that smell is not just perceived; it’s felt.” The cold, hard fact that scent can transform and transport is what inspires leading fragrance brand, Discotheque, to create the distinctly unique blends for which they are slowly becoming famous.
What is a discotheque?
Born and raised between los angeles And LondonThe young fragrance brand launched in 2024 sits at the intersection of beauty and nightlife. co founder jesse wilner32, and hanover booth37, describes their personal and professional relationship as “cosmic”: not only because they traveled around the world together for years through work in the fashion industry, or because they became fast friends in their teenage years, but because they learned years later that their respective parents had once dated each other. “We always say we were supposed to be sisters, and now we are sisters,” Willner jokes about who wears what.
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Willner further explains that Discothèque was originally a “passion project taken too far”. The pair, who previously worked together at luxury outerwear brand Willner, powerful companyThey were mesmerized by their shared memories on random dance floors around the world. “We wanted to bottle up that feeling,” Willner explains ruefully. The pair’s goal was to create something that could either transport you back to a specific moment in time – sweat, champagne foam, falling confetti and all – or inspire you to create incredible new memories with friends, lovers, and strangers.
Discotheque co-founders Jesse Wilner and Hanover Booth
(Image credit: Courtesy of Discotheque; Marco Furio)
“Each fragrance starts with a club, emotion, city, song, etc. that holds significance personally or culturally,” she explains. “Then we narrow it down to a night or even a precise moment, real or imagined, within that world. A secret encounter at a coat check, at first light in the morning.” These world-building moments help visionaries choose their notes, create a layering act, and create a singular fragrance wardrobe.
“We were obsessed with a time before our time, before the Internet, before you could scroll out of bed and emulate someone else’s life,” says Wilner. “You really had to go out to be inspired or get on the dancefloor to hear your next favorite song.” Below, seven discotheque scents that will have you moving to the nearest dance floor.
Another shot of Wilner and Booth
(Image credit: Courtesy of Discotheque)
Shop Discotheque Fragrances
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Lola in Coat Check Eau de Parfum
Key Notes: Bass Rose, White Chocolate, Orris, Amber | Inspired by: New York in 1992
“Lola at Coat Check was Jessie’s first idea,” the brand’s copywriter Jessica Garrison tells us. The scent – a smoky, woody nectar with a touch of delicious sweetness – is one of the best examples of this brand’s range. The site reads, “There were whispers on lips from behind velvet ropes, but her name was uttered only in love letters or curses. She was Lola. She would take your coat. She would hang it up and put a small white chocolate in her pocket, a surprise for 4 o’clock in the morning.” You can almost smell it – sultry petals of sandalwood and amber wafting from men wearing tailored suits; Pink pepper, grapefruit and jasmine blossom from hazy cocktails at the bar. The aroma is complex: fruity, sweet, and smoky all at once. It’s something you have to smell to believe.
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Besse moi on the dancefloor eau de parfum
Key Notes: Violet leaf, jasmine, orris, sandalwood. Inspired by: Paris in 1979
If you’re looking for a sophisticated scent with a whisper of the wild side, look no further than Bais Moi on the Dancefloor. Inspired by open water and bubbly flutes, this urban fragrance is charming and streamlined – but that doesn’t mean it lacks complexity. Marine components and powdery orris entangle with sultry notes in a dreamy frenzy, making this a perfect date-night scent and general confidence-booster. “I literally wear Basse Moi to sleep because it gives me the dopamine rush,” says Willner. (Pro tip: She recommends including this scent with Lola at Coat Check, because of her sister Orris notes.)
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Heathens, Cowboys, and Santa Ana Wind Eau De Parfum
Key Notes: Palmarose, sweet grass, chamois, sandalwood. Inspired by: Los Angeles in 1986
An earthy joy and a cardamom-tinged fantasy, Heathens, Cowboys, and the Santa Ana Wind has all the grit and friction of your favorite old western. The grassy scent opens with, well, sweet grassy notes, settling into a sensual mash of amber-y musk and suede followed by a woody medley of tea leaf, palmarose, and lavender. Inspired by Los Angeles in 1986, this scent evokes images of a salon-themed bar with a flickering neon sign in the shape of a cowboy boot out front – all you have to do is spray it on and open the door.
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Eau de Parfum all night until first light
Key Notes: Grapes, black pepper, saffron, khsabzi. Inspired by: ibiza in 1989
Moving slowly towards the end of the decade, All Night to First Light captures that 80s glory for one last moment. Inspired by sunset-streaked Ibiza skies and lush fruits on salty beaches, this fragrance captures the energy of the Spanish island in a mirrorball bottle. Notes of grapefruit, heady rum and black pepper come alive with the softness of magnolia and saffron before coming back to shore with cashmere and amber grass. It’s the citrus scent you never knew you needed.
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Sweat, Tears, Heaven Eau De Parfum
Key Notes: Absinthe, Sea Salt, Mimosa, Cedar Wood | Inspired by: Mykonos in 1995
This one is for the musk fanatics – those who crave the smell of their lover’s neck and enjoy the scent of damp earth. A fiery snapshot of Mykonos in 1995, this perfume captures salty waves hitting ancient limestone and sensual shades enlivened by cedar wood and natural musk. It’s a little crazy, a little sophisticated and just plain sexy for anyone. If you want a genderless scent that tells a story, you’ll enjoy the scent of sweat, tears, and heaven.
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Call for Good Times Eau De Parfum
Key Notes: Violet, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Amber | Inspired by: Tokyo in 2000
The brightest and most floral of the Discotheque discography to date, Call for a Good Time is the sweet scent of summer that even food haters can’t help but drool over. Its entire makeup is a fractal bouquet – as if a gardener plucked a handful of wild violet, night-blooming jasmine, ylang-ylang and yuzu fruits and tied them all together with a piece of twine. Pink pepper and “glowing” musk bring this fragrance back to earth, but its colorful glow lingers long after you’ve left the party. Plus, it attracts every imaginable compliment.
Pro Tip: Booth recommends spreading this scent at the base of Heathens, Cowboys and Santa Ana Winds. “We recently described this pairing as ‘Midnight in Tokyo meets LA’ with dazzling, white florals and golden sandalwood.”
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Dark Imagination Eau De Parfum
Key Notes: damascus rose, black plum, leather, patchouli Inspired by: Marrakesh in 2003
If a call for a good time was yang, dark imagination was yin. This deep, full-bodied fragrance – layered with rose notes, black plum, leather and patchouli – evokes visions of thick air, desert flowers, beads of sweat and gentle chaise. This is another great contender for anyone looking for an androgynous scent, and it’s a beautiful base for layering. However, why mess with perfection? Fragrance tells a story in itself.
Buy more products from Discotheque
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discovery set
It’s impossible to make a snap decision, so invest in a discovery set first to see which calls your name the most. (And so you can get in and out of these fantasies at any time.)
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Lola on Coat Check Candle
Spoiler alert: They also make candles! “My two absolute favorites right now are Lola in Coat Check (our newest release!) and Crisco Disco, both of which are inspired by New York,” says Hanover. “Maybe because that’s where my dad is from—I’m a New Yorker at heart!”
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disco crisco candle
A suede, citrus scent that makes your home smell like the inside of a fancy store.
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la grotta candle
This candle blooms at night. Illuminate when you want to summon swirls of sea salt, relaxing sandalwood and blooming jasmine.
