In this episode of Olfactive Melbourne, we sit down with Katrina Cochrane, the founder and perfumer behind Archer Farrar Perfume Atelier, a botanical fragrance house that celebrates the raw beauty, complexity, and craftsmanship of natural perfumery.
Working exclusively with plant-derived materials, Katrina’s creations explore the intersection of art, chemistry, and the natural world—each composition a study in patience, precision, and place. Her process is deeply rooted in the French method of perfumery, where every botanical is carefully diluted, documented, and evaluated to reveal its full nuance.
In this note-by-note masterclass, we explore Mona Farm, a fragrance inspired by the autumn gardens of Mona Farm in Braidwood, New South Wales. Built around jonquil in full bloom and layered with agrestic, earthy tones, Mona Farm captures the delicate balance between floral refinement and pastoral warmth—where rose leaf, chamomile, hay, and amber evoke misty mornings, cool sunshine, and the richness of the land itself.
We then journey through the wider Archer Farrar collection: from Dark Cedar, a rose-spiked martini in a whisky bar of wood, leather, and smoke; to Green Vetiver Oil, an award-winning study in vetiver as raw and storm-charged as summer rain on dry earth; and Embrace Oil, a narcotic floral-spice blend that wraps the wearer in coffee, tuberose, and sandalwood. Each fragrance reveals a new dimension of natural perfumery—where emotion, material, and method intertwine.
https://archerfarrar.com.au/
https://monafarm.com.au/