Perfumer Heather Bath comes from a long lineage of winemakers. Her grandfather was a rancher in Sonoma County; her father brought Northern California wines to KC as the founder of the Plaza’s now-defunct Starker’s Restaurant; her cousin is a master sommelier.
Although Bath refers to herself as the “odd ball out,” she often compares her personalized scent styling sessions to vino. “It feels like a wine tasting, but with fragrance,” she says.
Located inside the Brookside lifestyle store GEORGE, Bath’s fragrance bar H. Bath features over 100 niche perfumes, predominantly crafted in Europe (Paris, Amsterdam and Tuscany), with the exception of one domestic brand, Zernell Gillie, made in Chicago. Unlike many mass-produced designer scents’ decorative packaging, these artisanal scents rely much less on ornamentation. “It’s not about the bottle,” Bath says. “It’s all about the artistic expression.”
With decades of experience in the fragrance industry, Bath spent much of her career honing her craft (and nose) in Los Angeles, where she developed scents for luxury lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne. Two years ago, the perfumer returned to her hometown of KC, and she launched H. Bath this past May. Now, she’s gearing up to expand the bar and fragrance selection later this month.
During a half-hour fragrance fitting at the Brookside shop, Bath took account of my preferences, starting with lighter fragrances and gradually building to bolder aromas. Her approach is largely gender neutral—much to my surprise, I found myself drawn to what she says is one of Travis Kelce’s favorite scents: Ex Nihilo’s Blue Talisman. Ultimately, though, I landed on Essential Parfums’ earthy, bright and spicy Mon Vetiver.
Shop H. Bath’s collection in person (315 E. 55th St., KCMO) or learn more online at hbathperfumer.com.
