The aroma of perfume is instantly captivating, evoking euphoria and wonder with just one whiff—but its properties are far more powerful than many realize. More than just the final touch before heading out the door, fragrance has the potential to propel us forward.

According to Universe of Harth CEO and founder Amanda Harth, natural ingredients in perfume have the ability to heal, renew, liberate, and awaken our deepest desires.

“What do you want your future to smell like?” she asks, drawing a connection between fragrance and textiles—a concept she explored in her 2022 solo exhibit on the intersection of Black culture, denim culture, and the true history of workwear.

“I think people don’t always associate their senses with different life experiences, especially trauma. Certain odors can trigger memories of pain,” says Harth, who is currently participating in the three-month Synesthesia Series residency at the Emily Hotel in downtown Chicago.

“The other thing people don’t realize about fragrance is that sometimes you experience a scent before you even see the person. It’s all connected in different ways—it’s very layered, and that’s part of my research.”

That research has kept Harth immersed in the fragrance world for over a decade. After earning a BA in fashion design and menswear from The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, she pivoted after graduating in 2010 to work in product promotion. Another shift came during the COVID-19 pandemic when she stepped into the barista space at Monday Coffee, a move that ultimately laid the foundation for her current venture.

Now, Universe of Harth—her oil-based perfume brand—seamlessly blends fragrance and textiles to tell stories through scent. For Harth, the journey has been transformative.

“What I’ve learned as an entrepreneur is that when you’re walking in your purpose, there’s no such thing as failure. There are only challenges and opportunities for growth,” she says.

Her passion for aromatherapy began with humble roots on the South Side of Chicago, where she grew up in a family of six. Her parents, both public servants, heavily influenced the Universe of Harth collection.

“My brand is deeply inspired by my support system. It tells my family’s story and my own story through fragrance,” she says. “Each scent is rooted in my parents, my siblings, a feeling, a memory, or nostalgia. It’s evolved, but the core collection remains grounded in my family foundation.”

The collection—available in person at the Center of Order and Experimentation in Chicago—features versatile, unisex sprays designed for the body, linens, or as room sprays. Scents include bergamot, orange blossom, white birch, tonka, and clove.

Her fragrance Harth is a personal homage, capturing the essence of holiday gatherings at her grandmother’s home. “It’s the scent of food, cocktails, my aunties’ perfumes, and my grandmother’s house—all wrapped into one.”

Other scents hold similarly personal ties, including Centre Court, which pays tribute to her early tennis days with notes of vetiver, lavender, and grass, and Prequel to Summer, dedicated to her mother and aunt, who are twins, featuring gardenia and neroli.

While scent plays a major aesthetic role, Harth is most intrigued by its holistic benefits for mental and physical well-being.

“I believe there’s a lot of healing in fragrance,” she says. “Lavender is known to calm you, ylang-ylang boosts energy, and woody notes help ground emotions.”

During her residency, Harth’s mission is to provide a safe space for exploring aromatherapy and help people improve their mental health, particularly in times of crisis.

“There’s a lot going on in the world. This experience is an escape. It’s a blessing to be a blessing—to create a space for Black and brown people to just be, to exist as they are,” she explains. “Holistic healing happens when we take time to learn what healing means and how to design it through fragrance.”

She hopes the residency will inspire others to explore fragrance as a form of self-expression and community building.

For the self-proclaimed data and research geek, the future is filled with bigger opportunities. As the residency concludes, she plans to debut a new vanilla fragrance and open a workshop on Chicago’s West Side to expand production.

As she steps into this next chapter, Harth is eager to see how people connect with her work.

“Like fashion, fragrance is subjective, so I’m curious to see how people respond to it.”