Who?
My name is Klio Maniati and I have lived in Luxembourg, Greece and Argentina. I am currently based in Berlin, Germany, and you can visit me in my studio at Gärtnerstr. 7 in my beloved Friedrichshain. I have a diploma in chemical engineering and a PhD in olfaction. I have been working for the perfume industry since 13 years.
I love to be creatively challenged, and my inspiration comes from everywhere around me. Poetic emotions, artistic twists, and life-changing experiences all blend together to form my perception of the world into scent.
What?
I offer an exclusive collection of Eaux de Parfum and handmade perfumed soaps. I use very high-quality materials, from responsible sources, and always take the appropriate time to evaluate and decide on my accords. I really don't like to be rushed!
The Eau de Parfum collection is made of fragrances at 20% w/w concentration in "organic" alcohol, packaged in a vintage-style bottle. The perfumes are all-gender and are best worn on the back of the neck (right by the hairline), the inside of the elbows, the back of the knees, or any other secret spot you feel like perfuming.
The soaps are handmade with extra virgin olive oil and are perfumed with the same scents as the EdP. They can be used as hand soap or body soap, with great moisturising qualities due to the olive oil and the old-fashioned method of production. For a more intimate experience of the scents, the perfumed soaps can be used to scent your home's closets or drawers.
Why?
For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about all things scented. My creative practice started from a very young age when, during my baths, I would mix shampoos and shower gels in quest of the perfect scent. It was a given — I was going to become a perfumer.
I have been thinking about and working on Klio Parfums for many, many years, and I'm sure that even in the years to come, I will always feel it is not quite as perfect as I would like it to be. But because, deep down, I know there is no such thing as perfection, I have taken the decisive step of unveiling it to the world and letting it take its course. I am very excited to finally show you my creations, but also, quite frankly, very intimidated. Enjoy the ride with me!
My commitment
Hand-filled
Small Batch
Artisanal Creations
Nature and Animal Friendly
Cruelty-free
Cosmetic Safety Compliance
Hand-filled Small Batch Artisanal Creations Nature and Animal Friendly Cruelty-free Cosmetic Safety Compliance
Small batchAll of my creations are lovingly designed, hand-filled and packaged in my studio. This might mean longer production-times and smaller amounts of product, but it favours more sustainable processes. Smaller batches reduce the carbon footprint and the waste generated during production, and offer flexibility for better quality products instead of quantity and profit.
Cruelty-free, Vegan and Safety CompliantNo animal testing has been applied to the products or the ingredients. No animal-derived ingredients are used. All products are subject to the European Regulations for Cosmetics and the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) guidelines.
Natural and Synthetic Ingredients In my practice I use mixed media. This means both natural and synthetic ingredients. Hearing the word “synthetic” can raise eyebrows, but in perfumery they are very safe, having gone through strict toxicity and environmental tests. The use of synthetics not only gives a much larger palette of scents to work with, but also helps limit the use of natural products that might contribute to the depletion of the original plant. One example is Bagdanol®, a sandalwood-smelling synthetic molecule I use, instead of natural sandalwood oil, which stems from the avidly exploited and almost extinct sandalwood trees of India.
SustainabilityThroughout development of the products, plastic use is restricted to a minimum (e.g. plastic pipettes are replaced with metal spatulas, glass bottles are favoured over plastic etc). The trial bottles are washed and reused to the maximum. Recyclable materials are used for external packaging and shipping. I recycle almost all of my waste - some of it goes to art projects.
Your empty bottles are very welcome to be returned in exchange for a discount and a refill. Learn more about it here.
More about Perfumery
The path to perfumery is not easy. One comes across a lot of frustration and challenges and needs to be armed with a great deal of patience. The first years are tough and demand perseverance and commitment. In the training process, one starts by smelling, trying to memorise and then recognise thousands of ingredients. Then, one needs to learn to blend these ingredients with a method which can lead to an important amount of failed trials before reaching a well balanced mixture of smells. Actually, the training period never stops as this is an ongoing process where the nose needs to be continuously trained and the number of mixtures is infinite. Even the greatest perfumers say they feel like they are learning something new every day during their practice.
A Big Thank YOU!
Klio Parfums wouldn’t exist today without the beautiful, creative and wholesome energy of a handful of artists who were either already dear friends of mine or became that on the path to collaboration. Words fail me to express my gratitude for their amazing work, spirit and support in my first steps into craftsmanship. Here is a list of them and their contributions to bringing this project to fruition.
Caroline Corleone painted and digitally created all the images for the website and printed material.
Lacy Barry designed my beloved logo and the shop’s window and interior.
Daniella Domingues created the visuals for the packaging.
Stefan Jähnigen helped design and printed all the packaging at Druckerei Lippert.
Yiannis Ampatziadis shot dreamy product pictures and is responsible for the social media presence.
Chryssanthi Skalioti designed the labels and gave her support whenever needed.
Carolina Galharte Silva took beautiful pictures and helped with market sales.
