The Art of Sens: An Interview with Michael Romero
By Space Coast Daily // June 22, 2022
The candle market has seen significant growth in recent years thanks to the candle retaining its appeal as functional decor. The candle market consists of different segments including the luxury market. This market was valued at $370.95 million in 2021 and it is predicted that it will increase at a CAGR of 5.1% until 2028.
Luxury candles tend to use high quality ingredients to create pleasant scents. The candles which SENS produces are no different. The Founder of SENS, Michael Romero, used to be a professional photographer and has used this experience to launch his own brand. Romero focuses on creating striking visuals for his products and these visuals help facilitate the premium nature of the brand.
The SENS brand is based in Miami and it is a luxury offering which provides high quality candles that are each produced with dedication and care. The candles which SENS produces are designed to completely fill an environment with the scent of the candle, the light which it produces and the aesthetic merit of the candle itself.
The mission which SENS has set for itself is to create a luxury candle brand that uses all natural ingredients which includes wax that is environmentally friendly, wicks made from wood and vases made from ceramic materials. The nature of the construction of the candles ensures that the scent which they produce is long lasting.
SENS distinguishes itself from other luxury candle brands by using ceramic to house its candles instead of glass which many other luxury candle brands use. This style of design allows SENS candles to fit the style of a greater number of homes as the ceramic also comes in a number of different colors. The candles are produced using a hand pouring process which gives each candle a slightly unique construction.
Interview with Michael Romero
SpaceCoastDaily: What was the inspiration behind Sens?
Romero: Traveling to different destinations or even just a memory is what is the inspiration for each scent in the Sens collection. Also I really liked that I could use my years of experience as a photographer to create the content for the brand.
SpaceCoastDaily: How has your experience impacted Sens?
Romero: I think that my experience as a commercial photographer helped the brand’s visuals across the board. Also it definitely helps with cost when you don’t have to spend money to create proper content.
SpaceCoastDaily: How would you describe your design philosophy?
Romero: Refined and timeless is what I am always after.
SpaceCoastDaily: What was the biggest challenge when starting the company?
Romero: Getting used to sourcing all the products and working with the suppliers is something that I wasn’t used to, especially doing what I do for so long but after a while you get a good flow to the kind of work and things get done a lot smoother.
SpaceCoastDaily: How would you describe your style of leadership?
Romero: My style of leadership is like Google. I don’t mind play, and I want people to have fun while they work. That is more important than the work itself but at the end of the day the work must get done and done right.
SpaceCoastDaily: What do you think is the most important advice you could give to a designer?
Romero: Something that I think is super important that I wish I would have learned about more before is color theory. As an old school shooter I always focused on composition rather than color but for design it is just as important as composition.
SpaceCoastDaily: Where do you see Sens in the future?
Romero: Where I see the future for Sens is having a few flagship stores around the world.
Final Thoughts
Michael Romero of SENS candles has been able to use his significant professional experience as a photographer to inform his sophisticated aesthetic. This creates a heightened level of aesthetics to facilitate the luxurious nature of the brand. He has had to learn the ins and outs of the candle making process to ensure that each candle which SENS produces is of the highest quality and provides customers with a pleasant aromatic experience. Color theory is important to the creation of aesthetically pleasing imagery and Romero uses this to inform both his photography and his designs.
