The Heritage
The Story of d.grayi
d.grayi is a Vietnamese‑American indie perfume house that blends modern olfactory techniques with materials rooted in Southeast Asian culture. Founded by James "Miju" Nguyen, the brand launched its first scent in 2022 and has since released a line that includes Jasmine Rice, Cosmic Serpent and White Cat Milktea. Each fragrance is presented as a small‑batch, hand‑filled edition that invites collectors to explore a narrative of memory, place and playful experimentation.
Heritage
The story of d.grayi begins in 2022 when James Nguyen, a Vietnamese American who had spent years working in hair‑care research, decided to translate his fascination with scent into a personal perfume project. He launched the brand under the name d.grayi and introduced the debut fragrance Dispelled, a composition that combined synthetic notes with a hint of traditional Vietnamese jasmine. Early press coverage highlighted the house’s focus on unusual molecular ingredients, such as cadaverine, a compound that can evoke fruit skin and bodily fluids, used to anchor the memory of a specific fruit offering. In 2023 the line expanded with Spice and Sexy Skunk, two scents that demonstrated the brand’s willingness to juxtapose gourmand sweetness with bold, animalic accents. 2024 marked a collaborative milestone when d.grayi partnered with KST SCENT, a Korean fragrance studio, to co‑create a series that merged Vietnamese rice‑based accords with Korean botanical extracts; the partnership was announced on the LV1 Studio website and emphasized a queer, contemporary reinterpretation of heritage. The following year, 2025, saw the release of several narrative‑driven perfumes—White Cat Milktea, Wednesday's Nevermore and Cosmic Serpent—each accompanied by a short visual story on Instagram. By 2026 d.grayi had produced a full catalogue ranging from the playful Baby Dragon to the contemplative Black Dog, establishing a reputation for limited‑edition releases that arrive in hand‑filled glass bottles. Throughout its first five years the house has remained independent, operating out of a modest studio in Ho Chi Minh City while distributing globally through its website and niche perfume retailers.
Craftsmanship
Every d.grayi perfume is produced in a limited run that typically does not exceed a few hundred bottles. The process begins with a scent brief that references a specific memory or cultural element; from there, the nose—James Nguyen himself—selects a core accord, often built around a traditional Vietnamese material such as jasmine rice or black coffee. Synthetic molecules like cadaverine are introduced early in the formulation to create a structural backbone that supports the natural extracts. Ingredients are sourced from both local Vietnamese suppliers and international fragrance houses that provide high‑purity synthetics. Once the formula is finalized, the blend is macerated for a period that ranges from two weeks to three months, depending on the volatility of the components. The final mixture is filtered through stainless‑steel screens to remove any particulate matter. Bottling takes place by hand in a small studio, where each glass vial is filled using a calibrated pipette to ensure consistent volume. Caps are sealed with a tamper‑evident liner, and the bottles are placed in recyclable cardboard boxes that feature hand‑drawn artwork. Quality control includes a blind scent test by a small panel of trusted collectors before each release, guaranteeing that the fragrance matches the creator’s vision. The brand also documents each batch with a unique code, allowing collectors to trace the provenance of their bottle.
Design Language
Visually, d.grayi favors minimal glass vessels that let the perfume’s colour speak for itself. Bottles are typically clear or lightly tinted, with simple black or white caps that bear the brand’s handwritten logo. The label design relies on hand‑drawn illustrations that reference the scent’s story—a rice stalk for Jasmine Rice, a stylized cat for White Cat Milktea, or a serpentine line for Cosmic Serpent. Packaging materials are chosen for their tactile quality; recycled kraft paper and soy‑based inks give the outer box a warm, organic feel. On digital platforms, the brand’s Instagram feed mixes close‑up shots of the bottles with candid studio photos, showing the creator at work with beakers and raw ingredients. The overall image projects a blend of artisanal craftsmanship and contemporary edge, inviting the audience to view each perfume as both a scent and a piece of visual art.
Philosophy
d.grayi approaches perfumery as a dialogue between tradition and experimentation. The founder describes his work as an effort to honor Vietnamese and Korean scent heritage while viewing those references through a queer, contemporary lens. Rather than chasing trends, the brand selects raw materials—rice, jasmine, local spices—and reinterprets them with modern synthetics, allowing familiar aromas to appear in unexpected contexts. Each fragrance is meant to act as a diary entry, a snapshot of a feeling or place that the creator wishes to preserve. The house values transparency, often sharing the molecular building blocks of a scent on social platforms, and it encourages wearers to engage with the narrative behind each bottle. Community feedback is welcomed, but creative decisions remain anchored in the founder’s personal memory bank, which includes childhood meals, street markets and the sounds of urban Vietnam. Sustainability is addressed through small‑batch production, which reduces waste and ensures that each ingredient is sourced responsibly, whether that means partnering with local rice farmers or selecting ethically certified synthetics.
Key Milestones
2022
Launch of d.grayi with debut fragrance Dispelled, marking the brand’s entry into the indie perfume scene.
2023
Release of Spice and Sexy Skunk, showcasing the house’s willingness to blend gourmand and animalic notes.
2024
Collaboration with Korean studio KST SCENT, resulting in a cross‑cultural collection that merges Vietnamese rice accords with Korean botanicals.
2025
Introduction of narrative‑driven scents White Cat Milktea, Wednesday's Nevermore and Cosmic Serpent, each accompanied by a visual story on social media.
2026
Expansion of the catalogue to include over a dozen limited‑edition fragrances, solidifying d.grayi’s reputation for small‑batch innovation.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Vietnam
Founded
2022
Heritage
4
Years active
Collection
2
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.3
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm