Bond No. 9
A New York-based luxury fragrance house whose perfumes and related products are built around the city’s neighborhoods, landmarks, and cultural identity.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Bond No. 9 is an American luxury fragrance house based in New York City. Laurice Rahmé launched the brand in 2003, opening its principal boutique at 9 Bond Street in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood. The address supplied both the company name and a central part of its identity: Bond No. 9 presents fragrance as a form of urban portraiture, associating individual scents with New York neighborhoods, avenues, parks, districts, and civic themes. The company began with a group of 16 neighborhood fragrances and expanded substantially during its first decade. By 2013, it had produced more than 60 fragrances, including products inspired by areas such as Central Park South, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Chinatown, and Brooklyn. Its portfolio has included products marketed to women, men, and both sexes, rather than operating within a strictly gender-exclusive fragrance structure. The brand is known for high perfume-oil concentrations, generally around 18% to 22% in many fragrances, with some pure-parfum offerings reaching approximately 30%. Bond No. 9 differentiates itself through a combination of place-based storytelling, decorative packaging, and direct retail experiences. Its bottles are often brightly colored or graphically distinctive, and some limited editions have been embellished with Swarovski crystals. The company has also sold candles, pocket sprays, body creams, and other products that extend its scent concepts beyond traditional bottles of perfume. A custom-blending service allows customers to work with the brand’s fragrance specialists, known as Bond Perfumistas, to create and bottle a personalized scent. Retail distribution combines the company’s own New York boutiques with upscale department stores and specialty retailers. The brand has maintained five eponymous New York boutiques and has been sold through retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Bloomingdale’s, Hudson’s Bay, Isetan, Sephora, and De Bijenkorf. Its New York-focused marketing has included the Bond Mobile, an English taxi decorated with imagery echoing the brand’s bottle designs and used to chauffeur customers and media editors. The brand has also pursued cultural and institutional collaborations. A licensing relationship with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts began in 2007 and produced a series of Warhol-associated fragrances before the agreement ended in 2013. Bond No. 9 retained the scents after the licensing period but renamed and repackaged them. In 2011, it introduced the I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9 capsule collection, using Milton Glaser’s well-known I LOVE NY logo and extending the brand’s New York theme from the city to the wider state. The collection included versions associated with men, women, families, mothers, fathers, holidays, Earth Day, and marriage equality. Bond No. 9 has also undertaken environmentally and socially oriented activities. Its recycling program encourages customers to return empty fragrance bottles from any brand for refurbishing or recycling, sometimes in exchange for a gift. The company created Saks NOLA for Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans in 2011, during the city’s post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding period. Its I LOVE NY for Earth Day fragrance was linked to environmental observance and a contribution to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The company states that its products are produced locally in the New York metropolitan area. In addition to physical retail and wholesale distribution, Bond No. 9 has experimented with digital packaging, including a 2013 QR-code initiative associated with the fragrance named BONDNO9.COM. The company’s public profile has been reinforced by industry recognition. Astor Place and Brooklyn received 2009 FiFi Awards in women’s and men’s fragrance categories, respectively, while New York Oud won a 2012 FiFi Award for Perfume Extraordinaire. Rahmé received the Fashion Group International Beauty/Fragrance Entrepreneur Rising Star Award i…
History
Bond No. 9 was launched in New York City in 2003 by Laurice Rahmé. The company took its name from its original principal address, 9 Bond Street in Manhattan’s NoHo district, and built its identity around the idea that a fragrance could represent a particular New York place or atmosphere. Its opening assortment consisted of 16 neighborhood fragrances, establishing the place-based naming strategy that would define the house. During its first decade, Bond No. 9 expanded from a boutique fragrance operation into a broader luxury scent business. Its portfolio grew to more than 60 fragrances by 2013. Many compositions referenced New York neighborhoods, streets, parks, and districts, including Central Park South, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Chinatown, and Brooklyn. The portfolio also included scents for women, men, and both sexes. The brand’s formulation strategy emphasized comparatively high concentrations of perfume oils, with many products containing approximately 18% to 22% and selected pure-parfum products reaching about 30%. Retail development combined Bond No. 9’s own boutiques with distribution through luxury department stores and specialty retailers. The company established five New York boutiques and secured placements at Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Bloomingdale’s, Hudson’s Bay, Isetan, Sephora, and De Bijenkorf. Its marketing extended the physical identity of the stores into the streets through the Bond Mobile, an English taxi decorated to resemble the visual language of the company’s bottles and used for customer and media transportation. The house expanded its cultural associations through a licensing partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts beginning in 2007. The resulting fragrance series used the Andy Warhol name and bottle concepts influenced by his artwork. Products in the series included Andy Warhol Silver Factory, Andy Warhol Union Square, Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue, Andy Warhol Success Is a Job in New York, Andy Warhol Montauk, and Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9. When the licensing arrangement ended in 2013, the company kept the scents but changed their names and packaging. In 2011, Bond No. 9 introduced the I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9 capsule collection. The project broadened the geographic frame from New York City neighborhoods to the state as a whole and used Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo on its bottles. The collection developed into several thematic variants, including fragrances for him, her, all, mothers, fathers, holidays, Earth Day, and marriage equality. The company also created Saks NOLA for Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans, linking an exclusive fragrance to the city’s rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Environmental and community-oriented initiatives formed another part of the company’s public identity. Bond No. 9 operated a bottle-recycling program that invited customers to return empty bottles from any fragrance brand for recycling or refurbishment, sometimes with a gift provided in return. The I LOVE NY for Earth Day fragrance was associated with an environmental message and a contribution to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The company has stated that its products are made locally in the New York metropolitan area. Product development has not been limited to perfume. Bond No. 9 has offered candles, pocket sprays, body creams, limited-edition crystal-covered bottles, and custom fragrance blending. In the custom service, customers consult with Bond Perfumistas and create a personalized metro-fragrance that can be bottled for them. In 2013, the brand also promoted BONDNO9.COM as a digital-scent concept using a QR code on the packaging. Industry recognition followed the company’s expansion. Founder Laurice Rahmé received the Fashion Group International Beauty/Fragrance Entrepreneur Rising Star Award in 2006 and Cosmetic Executive Women’s Innovator of the Year award in 2012. Bond No. 9 fragrances also received FiFi Awards: Astor Place and Brooklyn were recognized in 2009, and New York Oud won in 2012. The company’s continuing identity is that of a New York-centered luxury fragrance house combining high-concentration scents, collectible design, neighborhood storytelling, boutique retail, and collaborations with cultural and civic institutions.
- 2013Bond No. 9 reaches more than 60 fragrances
The house reports a portfolio of more than 60 fragrances, including retail-exclusive collaborations.
- 2013Perfumista Avenue launches
The company marks its tenth anniversary with a fragrance inspired by an imaginary New York neighborhood.
- 2013Andy Warhol licensing agreement concludes
Bond No. 9 retains and reworks the associated fragrances after the licensing relationship ends.
- 2012New York Oud receives a FiFi Award
New York Oud wins the FiFi Award for Perfume Extraordinaire.
- 2012Rahmé receives CEW Innovator of the Year award
Cosmetic Executive Women recognizes Rahmé as Innovator of the Year.
- 2011I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9 is introduced
The company launches a New York State-themed capsule collection using Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo.
- 2009Astor Place and Brooklyn win FiFi Awards
The two fragrances receive awards in women’s and men’s fragrance categories.
- 2007Andy Warhol Foundation partnership begins
Bond No. 9 begins a licensing partnership that produces fragrances associated with Andy Warhol and his visual language.
- 2006Laurice Rahmé receives a Rising Star award
Rahmé receives Fashion Group International’s Beauty/Fragrance Entrepreneur Rising Star Award.
- 2003Bond No. 9 launches in New York
Laurice Rahmé opens the brand at 9 Bond Street in NoHo with an initial collection of 16 neighborhood fragrances.
Products and positioning
New York-inspired luxury fragrance with distinctive packaging, high perfume-oil concentrations, cultural collaborations, and experiential retail.
New York neighborhood fragrancesLuxury fragrance collection2003
Bond No. 9’s core line consists of perfumes named for or inspired by New York locations, including neighborhoods, avenues, parks, and districts. The collection translates urban associations into scent profiles and uses place-specific storytelling as a central organizing principle. Examples include Central Park South, Madison Square Park, Chinatown, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Astor Place. The range includes fragrances marketed to women, men, and all genders.
The Scent of PeaceLuxury fragrance
The Scent of Peace is one of Bond No. 9’s recognized signature offerings. It represents the house’s practice of attaching broad cultural or civic ideas to a luxury fragrance while retaining the brand’s distinctive bottle-led visual identity. It is included among the brand’s flagship offerings.
I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9Themed fragrance collection2011
Introduced in 2011, this capsule collection celebrates New York State rather than a single city neighborhood. Its bottles feature Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo, and the collection developed into variants associated with men, women, families, mothers, fathers, holidays, Earth Day, and marriage equality. It extends Bond No. 9’s geographic branding into a civic and cultural campaign.
Andy Warhol fragrance seriesCultural collaboration fragrance collection2007
This series was developed through Bond No. 9’s licensing partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The fragrances included versions associated with Silver Factory, Union Square, Lexington Avenue, Success Is a Job in New York, Montauk, and Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9. After the agreement ended in 2013, the company retained the scents but renamed and repackaged them.
Saks NOLARetail-exclusive fragrance2011
Saks NOLA was created exclusively for Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans. The fragrance was connected to the city’s recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and demonstrates Bond No. 9’s use of commissioned scents to link product launches with a specific place and local context.
New York OudLuxury fragrance
New York Oud is a Bond No. 9 fragrance that received the FiFi Award for Perfume Extraordinaire in 2012. Its name combines the house’s New York location-based concept with oud, a prominent perfumery material, and illustrates the brand’s practice of pairing metropolitan references with high-end fragrance conventions.
Perfumista AvenueLuxury fragrance2013
Perfumista Avenue was introduced in September 2013 for Bond No. 9’s tenth anniversary. Unlike many of the company’s products, it is based on a fictional neighborhood, allowing the brand to turn its location-based naming system into an imagined urban destination.
Custom-blended metro-fragrancesPersonalized fragrance service
Bond No. 9 offers customers a personalized blending experience conducted by specialists called Bond Perfumistas. Customers consult on a scent, have it blended, and can bottle the resulting customized metro-fragrance. The service reinforces the brand’s boutique and experiential positioning.
Fragrance accessories and body productsFragrance extensions
Beyond perfume bottles, Bond No. 9 has offered scented candles, pocket sprays, body creams, and limited-edition bottles decorated with Swarovski crystals. These products extend the house’s fragrance themes into home scent, portable formats, personal care, and collectible packaging.
Flagship businesses
- Bond No. 9 New York
- Chinatown
- The Scent of Peace
- Central Park South
- Madison Square Park
- New York Oud
- Brooklyn
- Bleecker Street
Marketing campaigns
- 2012I LOVE NY for Earth Day
New York State · United States
Bond No. 9 introduced an Earth Day-themed fragrance linked to environmental awareness and New York’s conservation identity.
Outcome. A percentage of proceeds was directed to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
- 2011I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9
New York State · United States · International markets
The brand launched a collection celebrating New York State with bottles carrying Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo and variants tied to different audiences and occasions.
Outcome. The collection expanded into multiple themed fragrances, including versions for men, women, mothers, fathers, holidays, Earth Day, and marriage equality.
- 2011Saks NOLA
New Orleans · United States
Bond No. 9 created an exclusive fragrance for Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans as the city continued rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
Outcome. The project produced a location-specific retail fragrance and connected the brand with New Orleans recovery efforts.
- 2007Andy Warhol Foundation collaboration
United States · International luxury fragrance markets
Bond No. 9 entered a licensing partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to create fragrances bearing the Warhol name and packaging influenced by his artwork.
Outcome. The partnership produced several fragrances and ended in 2013. Bond No. 9 retained the scents but renamed and repackaged them after the licensing term.
- Bond No. 9 bottle recycling program
United States · Bond No. 9 retail locations
The company encourages customers to return empty fragrance bottles from any brand for refurbishing or recycling, sometimes providing a gift in return.
Outcome. The program supports bottle reuse and recycling while creating an additional customer engagement mechanism.
- Bond Mobile street marketing
New York City
The company uses an English taxi decorated in the style of its fragrance bottles to chauffeur customers and media editors.
Outcome. The branded vehicle extends Bond No. 9’s packaging and New York identity into an experiential street-level marketing format.
Brand decisions
- 2013Introduce Perfumista Avenue for the tenth anniversaryProduct launch
Bond No. 9 marked ten years since its launch and had already developed a large portfolio of real-location fragrances.
What changed. The company introduced Perfumista Avenue, a fragrance based on a fictional neighborhood.
Aftermath. The launch demonstrated that the brand could extend its neighborhood concept beyond documented New York places into imaginative world-building.
- 2013Retain and repackage Warhol-associated fragrances after licensing endedStrategy
The licensing agreement with the Andy Warhol Foundation came to an end.
What changed. Bond No. 9 kept the underlying scents but changed their names and packaging.
Aftermath. The company preserved part of the product portfolio while removing the former licensing presentation.
- 2011Expand from New York City to a statewide I LOVE NY collectionProduct launch
The brand had primarily focused on New York City locations and sought a broader civic expression of its identity.
What changed. Bond No. 9 launched the I LOVE NY by Bond No. 9 capsule collection using Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo.
Aftermath. The collection developed into several audience- and occasion-specific fragrances, broadening the brand’s New York platform.
- 2007Enter a licensing partnership with the Andy Warhol FoundationM&A
Bond No. 9 sought to connect its fragrance products with a major figure in New York’s visual and cultural history.
What changed. The company entered a licensing partnership allowing it to create fragrances bearing the Andy Warhol name and designs inspired by his art.
Aftermath. The partnership produced a multi-product series before the agreement concluded in 2013. The scents were subsequently renamed and repackaged.
- 2003Adopt a New York neighborhood-centered brand strategyStrategy
The newly launched house was established at 9 Bond Street and introduced an initial range of 16 fragrances linked to New York neighborhoods.
What changed. Bond No. 9 made place-based naming and New York cultural references the organizing principle for its fragrance portfolio and retail identity.
Aftermath. The approach supported expansion into dozens of additional fragrances and became the defining feature of the brand.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Laurice Rahmé | Founder & CEO | 2003– |
| Laurice Rahmé | Founder | 2003– |
Recent events
- 2013Bond No. 9 marks its tenth anniversary with Perfumista Avenue
The company introduced Perfumista Avenue, a fragrance based on an imagined neighborhood rather than an actual New York location.
Product launchProduct generation - 2013Bond No. 9 introduces a QR-code fragrance initiative
The brand promoted BONDNO9.COM as a digital-scent concept and placed a scannable QR code on the bottle.
Product launchOther - 2013Bond No. 9’s Warhol licensing agreement ends
After the licensing relationship with the Andy Warhol Foundation concluded, Bond No. 9 retained the fragrances but renamed and repackaged them.
OtherProduct generation - 2012New York Oud wins FiFi Award for Perfume Extraordinaire
New York Oud received a FiFi Award in the Perfume Extraordinaire category.
Other - 2012Bond No. 9 launches I LOVE NY for Earth Day
The Earth Day fragrance connected the brand’s New York collection with environmental advocacy and support for New York State parks.
CampaignProduct launch - 2011Bond No. 9 introduces the I LOVE NY collection
The brand launched a capsule collection celebrating New York State and featuring Milton Glaser’s I LOVE NY logo.
Product launchCampaign - 2011Bond No. 9 creates Saks NOLA
The company created an exclusive fragrance for Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans during the city’s rebuilding period following Hurricane Katrina.
Product launchCampaign - 2009Astor Place and Brooklyn receive FiFi Awards
Astor Place and Brooklyn won FiFi Awards in women’s and men’s fragrance categories.
Other - 2007Bond No. 9 begins Andy Warhol Foundation licensing partnership
The brand began producing Warhol-associated fragrances with bottle designs drawing on the artist’s visual legacy.
M&AProduct launch - 2003Bond No. 9 launches its first neighborhood fragrance collection
The New York fragrance house opened at 9 Bond Street with 16 fragrances named for or inspired by New York neighborhoods.
Product launch
Sources
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