BORNTOSTANDOUT Refuses to Make Anything Soulless
We spoke to the brand’s founder, Jun Lim, about how the brand is redefining niche fragrance.
As our beauty routines evolve from one-size-fits-all to hyper-specific, it’s clear that the fragrance space is also shifting. In the past, signature scents were often determined by mass appeal, they were the classics that lived on the bestsellers list year after year and were passed down from our mothers and grandmothers — but in 2026, fragrance has become an extension of personal taste and curation, with niche brands like BORNTOSTANDOUT leading the way.
Founded on the principle of “rebellion against the standard,” BORNTOSTANDOUT is valuing fragrance itself over luxury marketing and big names. Long before the brand was launched, founder Jun Lim noticed something most mainstream scents lacked: point of view. With that same instinct, BORNTOSTANDOUT continues to expand the way we see fragrances, from chaotic, splattered campaigns to cheeky names like “Fig Porn” and “Happy Nuts.”
Beyond the innuendos, the brand’s “dirty and fun” ethos is also built on cult-favorite scent profiles designed to make you feel something. In the case of its latest release, “Melón Malo Extrait Extrême,” vivid childhood memories from perfumer Jordi Fernández turned from sweet to sour — with darker, more complex notes folded in to sweet and fruity accords to signify the somber transition from childhood to adulthood. “Same fruit, but life happened to it. Kind of like all of us,” Lim tells Hypebae.
Intended for the “misfits, rebels and rule-breakers” of the world, BORNTOSTANDOUT has dedicated itself to singularity in spite of the overwhelming soullessness. For now, it’s evocative fragrances, but Lim says the brand isn’t limiting itself to one category — instead, it’s planning to rethink all of the steps in our daily routines that could use elevating. Because after all, Lim notes that BORNTOSTANDOUT isn’t just products on a shelf — it’s art, “If you could quantify it, it wouldn’t be art. You have to smell it and feel it. That’s the whole point.”
Ahead, we speak to founder Jun Lim about BORNTOSTANDOUT’s impact in the niche fragrance movement and all of his upcoming plans for the brand.
On the Inspiration Behind “Melón Malo Extrait Extrême”
On Why BORNTOSTANDOUT Was Born
On How the Brand Has Evolved Since Launching
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