A Story in Scent, Taking Shape
Photo: Vetiver Street
Our team headed to Hood River for a guided sensory perfume workshop with artist John Schlue, starting the day with fresh pastries and croissants from Crema Portland, exploring the craft of fragrance and how scent can shape experience, resulting in something uniquely ours.
The moment we stepped inside, the room already carried a gentle mix of citrus, wood, and the beginning of something new.
John and his wife Shawna welcomed us into their light-filled Hood River studio, where rows of tiny bottles lined the tables like a cabinet of curiosities. He walked us through scent fundamentals — how base notes anchor a fragrance, how unexpected combinations can unlock a memory, and how a single drop can shift the entire composition.
One by one, we explored different pairings, played with possibilities, and watched our ideas take shape into scents that felt warm, bright, grounded, and unique.
Everyone was fully absorbed in creating something from scratch, passing bottles, sharing reactions, and watching ideas take shape. By the end, we’d each crafted a signature blend and voted on our top scents, and it’s leading to something we can’t wait to share.
More in the spotlight
We sat down with Karie Higgins, a Portland-based interior stylist behind Karie Higgins Studio and one third of Assemble Collective. With roots in New Zealand and time spent living in New York, Karie’s work reflects a considered approach to home, balancing modern clarity with timeless design. In this VS Sessions conversation, we talk about place, process, and what it means to create spaces that feel both elevated and lived in.
Photo: Paul Wagtouicz
Perched atop Alameda Ridge, Clyde’s Prime Rib is more than a Portland landmark—it’s a story of transformation. From its dark beginnings as a racist chain, it became a beacon under Eddie Mays and later Ernest Clyde Jenkins II, who turned it into a thriving, integrated hub for community, live music, and classic prime rib. With its castle-like exterior, vintage steakhouse charm, and decades of jazz, Clyde’s remains a beloved local destination where history, flavor, and culture converge.
Rick Potestio is a Portland-born architect whose award-winning work through Potestio Studio fuses modern materials with timeless principles of harmony and proportion to create distinctive residential and institutional spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest.