Style Icon: Anne McClain // MCMC Fragrances
Anne McClain explains how she fell in love with fragrance, her minimal jewelry style, and how her family-owned business is surviving during the pandemic.
Earrings: Odette, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette, Necklace: Stone Sphere Klint in Brass, Odette.
Anne studied perfumery and aromatherapy at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in Provence, France. She launched MCMC Fragrances, which she runs with her sister Katie, in 2009. Anne creates the scents for their company, while Katie handles sales and operations. They operate out of Dobbin Mews, former horse stables converted into artist studios in Brooklyn. I photographed Anne in her gorgeous, light-filled home in Bed-Stuy, and we talked about fragrances and jewelry, and how the two are connected.
Hi Anne! Tell me a bit about yourself…
I live in Bed-Stuy with my husband and two young boys. I am the founder of MCMC Fragrances, an independent perfume company. I work with my sister Katie and we operate out of our studio in Greenpoint. MCMC Fragrances is just about to celebrate 10 years in business. I founded the line after graduating from the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in southern France. It was a rigorous program designed to funnel you into corporate perfume companies, but I felt I had these stories to tell through the medium and decided to take the risk of starting my own business. I’m grateful that our line is distributed throughout boutiques in the U.S. and that people continue to rock their MCMC!
And about your studies in perfumery and aromatherapy…
I fell in love with perfumery in my 20s. Until then, I hadn’t given scent too much thought beyond the occasional perfume when I was young (CK1, Angel - ha!, J’adore). In college I studied photography, but I also traveled a lot. I took a year off from school and went to Thailand and Mexico for six months. I studied abroad in Nepal for a semester. With photography, I was always trying to capture the feeling of moments.
Then, one day I randomly stumbled into a natural perfumery course here in NYC, a few years after I had moved here, and within minutes I had this feeling like it was my “calling.” I loved everything about it. I loved the different colored liquids in their delicate glass bottles, and most of all, I loved that smelling each ingredient was like opening up a whole world. I decided then that scent was actually the best way to capture and convey memories, and started pursuing an education in perfumery. At first, that meant a lot of aromatherapy courses because I couldn’t find perfume classes. When I felt I had exhausted my avenues here, I applied to go to school in France. I was 27 at the time.
How are you and your family doing right now?
We are doing okay. There are good days and bad days. The good days have consisted of cooking, laughter and safely getting outdoors. We are right in the epicenter (Brooklyn) so we are really careful about going out. The bad days have been full of overwhelming feelings, uncertainty and the pressure of remote learning with two young kids.
We started a new tradition where every weekend we go on a hike about an hour outside of the city. We've gotten to know so many cool spots this way! It's actually something I would love to be doing while not in this situation and I think we've all enjoyed it so much that we stick with it. We are also able to have way more family dinners. Normally our schedules with work and after school are so hectic that family dinner rarely happens.
I miss spending time with my parents the most. They live just over the river on the Lower East Side but they are in the age category that is most vulnerable so we haven't seen them in eight weeks and that's really hard.
As a small business owner, how has this pandemic affected you? Are you able to get to your studio to work? Do you think your business will shift in any way when we come out on the other side of this?
There have really been a lot of changes with this pandemic to my business. We sell our products through retail partners all across the U.S. and most, if not all, of the shops we work with have been closed for the past eight weeks. That means of course that they are not ordering our goods to stock their shops. Our business has moved entirely online for this time period and we're really grateful that our customers have been shifting over to purchasing directly from us. We're seeing an uptick in home scents - our candles and atmosphere mists are selling really well.
About a week into the pandemic hitting NYC we quickly moved into manufacturing Hand Sanitizer scented with a selection of soothing essential oils. We source 200 proof antibacterial alcohol for our perfumes so it was a smooth transition for us. It's been nice to be able to make something needed during this time.
Because our studio is so private, I do go in. My sister and I go in on alternating days; I spend a lot of my time making restocking the Hand Sanitizer, and she ships orders.
I've learned to work really quickly and efficiently; I have less time to work with the kids at home. That's been a learning experience for me, but in all honesty, this has made me appreciate so much how I worked before - at the beautiful studio, with my sister, along with our wonderful retail partners - and I hope we can all get back to that place.
Earrings: Odette, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette, Necklace: Stone Sphere Klint in Brass, Odette.
Fragrances are so important to create a sense of calm and balance. Can you recommend a specific MCMC fragrance to help us reduce stress?
I am loving our CLOUD COVER Atmosphere Mist. It's an all natural room spray, with lavender, green tea and blue chamomile. It's really calming and the aromatherapeutic effect is to reduce stress. I use it every day at home.
Earrings: Helene hoops, Odette, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette.
To me, fragrances are quite similar to jewelry. It is almost like an accessory, something special and unique to each individual’s identity. Do you agree? Is there a relationship between jewelry and fragrance for you?
I recently had someone ask me if I could recommend other “contemporary ritual studios.” She was referring to perfume companies, but of the sort that created fragrances with meaning. I was blown away by her wording, because I think that is accurate of what many non-mainstream large perfume companies are trying to create. I think it’s also the case with jewelry, where it’s an adornment, but many times it means something more. People feel a personal connection to a lot of their jewelry, whether it’s handed down from a previous generation, or someone special gave it to them. Jewelry and perfume are also more personal than clothing. With clothing you wear something different every day but with jewelry and perfume, you repeat, and they can often come to symbolize you.
How would you describe your jewelry style? What makes your specific jewelry collection unique to you and your identity?
My daily jewelry is delicate and consistent. I wear eight rings and I never take them off; not to shower nor to sleep. I wear small gold studs that I switch out sometimes, and then sometimes a larger statement earring or necklace. I wear a lot of Odette NY jewelry, not just because she used to be my studio mate, but because I truly love it. Everything Jennifer makes is so wearable and because she carves it from wax first; it’s like a little sculpture. That said, I own lots and lots of jewelry that is symbolic and meaningful to me that I might not break out everyday but I wear on special occasions. What makes my specific jewelry unique to me is that each piece was collected. I can remember the occasion on which I bought or received it.
Earrings: 14k Mini Piet Stud, Odette, Necklace: Iwona Ludyga Design, Bracelets: Suippo bracelets, Fay Andrada, Odette Arrow Cuff, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette.
What jewelry do you wear on a regular day? Tell us more about those eight rings!
I wear my engagement ring and wedding band. Neither are very showy but still so special so I’m happy I can wear them both every day. I wear three tiny gold bands on the same hand with the initials of my husband and boys. On my right hand I wear a diamond ring I bought myself after one of my good years of business, and a diamond ring I received from my husband after our first son was born.
On a special occasion?
On special occasions I choose what goes well with my outfit. My mom saw a photo of me recently dressed up for my friend’s wedding and said my dress needed a brooch, so she gave me a jade brooch for next time. I’m looking forward to wearing that.
Do you have a philosophy on how to accessorize? Do you plan the clothes first or the accessories first?
I plan the clothes first, most of the time. Though for my birthday my friend sent me these really great long beaded black and gold earrings so for New Year’s Eve I did plan my outfit around those earrings.
Earrings: 14k Mini Piet Stud, Odette, Necklace: Iwona Ludyga Design, Bracelets: Suippo bracelets, Fay Andrada, Odette Arrow Cuff, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette.
What are your go-to jewelry brands?
I like Odette NY, Mociun, Iwona Ludyga and I like the antique pieces at Erie Basin.
What is the most special piece of jewelry you own and why?
By far the most special piece of jewelry to me is my engagement ring. The diamond is small and pear shaped, but for my husband and I, it symbolizes a seed.
Necklace: Talon NYC, Rings: Left Hand: Bittersweets NY Famous Letter ring, Engagement ring: Vintage from Erie Basin, Wedding band: custom by Katrina LaPenne, Right Hand: Odette, Notched band by Mociun, Custom Odette, Bracelet: from Thailand.
How does your work influence the way that you wear jewelry? Do you need to keep things simple while you work?
I work with my hands a lot but still keep my same eight rings on - they are like a part of my body!
You run MCMC Fragrances with your sister, Katie. How are your jewelry styles similar or different?
I keep things more minimal while Katie is better at coordinating her jewelry to her outfits and will step out with slightly bolder looks that incorporate jewelry with color. I mostly wear gold and brass, and occasionally I’ll have a silver day.
You mentioned the necklace with the hands that you wore during your pregnancy to signify you and your son. Can you please tell me about that necklace and what it means to you? And your son?
Sometime while I was pregnant I started wearing a necklace which has two hands each with an eye on it. I began to think of it as the hands of me and the baby I was carrying. I wore it the day I gave birth, and for some time after and then I put it back with the others into rotation. Recently I wore it again and showed my son, now six. I told him how I wore it all during pregnancy and how I thought it was like he and I; how he was in my tummy but I could still see him. He actually cried when I told him this!
How do you store your jewelry?
I have a few different dishes that I use to store jewelry that I wear frequently on top of my bathroom sink. I love my ceramic trays so much. They are by Minh Singer. I also have drawers filled with jewelry trays.
Bracelet: Klaia Cage Cuff by Odette, Necklace: Talon Pendant by Katrina LaPenne. The jade green ceramic dish was a gift from a friend (RJ of BDB ceramics), from a trip to Korea.
Thanks, Anne!
