The only time I’ve been to a specialized leather fetish store was by accident—the nondescript outer made me think it was a clothing boutique or perhaps a gift shop. It took me a few moments to register what the neatly spaced merchandise was, although the aesthetics of the actual shoppers helped quicken the realization. Having surveyed the goods and found no personal need for them, I moseyed out as poker faced as I’d moseyed in. I don’t remember the store having any particular smell.

Leder 6, formerly known as Fetisch, by J. F. Schwarzlose claims to be inspired by the Berlin fetish scene and to reinterpret a vintage Schwarzlose fragrance, Spanisch Leder (Spanish leather). This type of leather should recall luxury gloves rather than rough saddles. Listed notes of osmanthus, saffron, leather, and milk piqued my interest, and I requested a sample with my purchase of Nez magazine #16 and other stuff. The perfumer is Véronique Nyberg.

At the very beginning, Leder 6 is plasticky and fruity, perhaps like a peach liqueur. The alcohol solvent that’s still in the mix makes it boozy, but at the same time a milky note is making itself known. The fruit note made floral with a light touch of saffron is prominent throughout, and although it makes me think of a creamy orange color, I don’t recognize it explicitly as osmanthus. This bright and enjoyable set of top notes keeps wafting up at my nose, perfectly suited to the sunny day we’re having.

If I sniff deeply from the mesh fabric top I’m wearing, I get a very different experience—it’s as though I’ve entered an underground chamber where all the dark leather and smoky, almost animalic incense are hiding, along with a resinous dried-fruit note I’ve come to associate with opoponax. This blend brings a slight acridness to the fumes that plays dangerously with the milky note, although they precariously manage to keep each other in check.

After a while, as the perfume warms up on my skin, the apricot and tea-like facets of osmanthus bloom and bridge the light and dark sides of Leder 6. A slight sweetness also starts to emanate. This harmonious phase is beautiful, friendly, and seemingly shy toward my nose, as I keep having to shake my shirt to smell it better.

A couple of other fragrances come to mind during parts of the development. The initial plasticky, peachy, lactonic opening reminds me of Gucci Gucci Rush, though it’s far less powerful. The later emergence of suede, with its slightly tart facet, blending with the ambery-vanilla character also occurs in Ambre à Levres by Nez 1+1 (a collaboration between perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui and artist and film director Marjane Satrapi, the fragrance is meant to include a strong scent of lipstick). This seems to be the most consistent phase of Leder 6.

The clothing continues to harbor the darker notes, which become drier and somewhat vegetal. The light is never far.

Have you tried Leder 6 or other perfumes by J. F. Schwarzlose?