WienerBlut

WienerBlut is an independent perfume house based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 2009 by Alexander Lauber. Multiple sources, including the brand’s own communications and niche retailers, describe it as a unisex fragrance line whose creative starting point is Vienna at the end of the 19th century, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The name WienerBlut comes from the waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1873, a term historically associated with Viennese spirit and hedonistic charm.

Lauber and his collaborators study historical Viennese perfume recipes and 19th-century fads, then reinterpret them with contemporary perfumery techniques. Early releases such as Klubwasser (2009) explicitly referenced so-called Taschentuch, or handkerchief, perfumes that were popular at the time. The brand emphasizes precious natural materials, including aged resins, rare woods, and high-quality absolutes, and often works with external perfumers like Pierre-Constantin Gueros, who helped develop four new scents unveiled in Milan in 2012.

WienerBlut’s collection remains tightly edited, with around a dozen signature fragrances listed on the brand’s site and on databases like Fragrantica. Bottles are designed by New York-based Austrian art director Alex Wiederin, who drew on antique perfume flacons and Viennese pharmacy bottles for their silhouette. The result is a line that ties specific historical references and local Viennese culture to modern, compositionally complex perfumes that are positioned firmly in the niche segment rather than mainstream designer distribution.