Several well-established niche and designer houses are known specifically for building unisex fragrance lines, brands like Le Labo, Maison Margiela, Jo Malone, and Byredo, among others, have built strong reputations around fragrances marketed without gendered framing, focusing purely on notes and mood rather than “for him” or “for her” positioning.

What tends to define a unisex-focused brand

Unisex-focused houses typically build their entire identity, from packaging to marketing language, around universal appeal rather than gendered categories, often emphasising a specific note, memory, or place rather than masculine or feminine imagery. This doesn’t mean every fragrance from these houses smells identical or “neutral”; rather, they’re formulated and marketed on the basis that fragrance preference isn’t really about gender at all, just personal taste in notes and character.

Many traditionally “gendered” brands have also introduced unisex lines or individual releases in recent years, reflecting a broader shift in how the whole industry talks about fragrance. If you’re exploring unisex fragrance, our unisex range and unisex perfume oils are a good starting point. Our unisex fragrance guide covers this territory fully, and the complete guide to perfume has more background. Exploring a few of these houses side by side is a good way to work out which unisex style, fresh, warm, or abstract, actually suits you best. None of this means gendered fragrance lines have disappeared, it simply reflects a wider industry move toward giving shoppers more genuine choice.