A Toronto creative with a passion for comfort and lifestyle, Stephen Michlits started VIGYL to bring a new sustainable and innovative spin on home fragrance. Launching his new candle collection: Monume, sit down and light a candle with us to learn more about VIGYL with Stephen.
Tell us a little bit about VIGYL: what is VIGYL, where are you based, how’d it all start?
VIGYL is a brand I started conceptualizing in 2018/2019, while I was working as a Design Director in the private label product development industry in Toronto. That role introduced me to a community of entrepreneurs and creatives, who inspired me to take my own independent leap with a creative brand. My career up until that point had largely meant designing within the guardrails of established retail brands, which I absolutely enjoyed doing, but I felt I had a unique perspective I wanted to explore.
I had always loved home fragrance and candles in particular. As a kid, I remember gravitating curiously towards the candle displays when out shopping with my mom. Each Saturday when we finished our chores and the house was clean, my mom would light that candle. It’s a ritual I still do to this day - it’s the finishing touch for a tidy space.
It felt like a natural place to start VIGYL.
Having worked in mass retail, I felt well-versed in the market. I had noticed a trend in candles towards prescriptive ‘wellness-washing’ and products that felt overly gendered, that felt all the same. You had to look to expensive luxury brands for anything more complex and inspiring.
I wanted to create something as provoking, but more accessible and fun.
The name, VIGYL, references the ritual of observance and being present in your moment. The word is intended to serve as something of a reminder that life is short, as cliche as it sounds, so you should smell for your self, and curate your surroundings with things you love. It’s the reason why I leave the fragrance notes off of our VIGYL candle packaging, to remove any prescription and inspire a sense of curiosity in the user to fall in love, or not, naturally. I hope to continue expanding on this concept with other products as the brand grows.
What is your inspiration for your latest line Monume, both visually and aromatically?
The visual identity of the VIGYL brand is very much informed by the exploration of contrasting ideologies and the intersection between modern and classical design eras. With Monume I wanted to explore the idea of ‘change’. They say that every memory is linked to a scent in the human brain, so with Monume I wanted to build a collection around moments of change and self-discovery—and what those could have smelt like. It’s a bit abstract, but if you look at the collection as a whole you can see how that concept is narrated throughout. It was important to me that we shoot the Monume campaign photography showcasing the candles spread amongst the rubble of a crumbled structure, as true change often occurs when we’re met with the disillusion of what we thought we knew.
Where do you see VIGYL going in the future? What are your next goals?
Honestly running a small business is much more difficult than I could have imagined! I could tell you about all the product ideas and designs I have had to press pause on while I continue to navigate within my means - but right now I would just be happy to be in a future where it still exists. In an ideal world, I would love to explore the VIGYL perspective on personal care, leisure and home accessories.
What have been your biggest challenges for you both in terms of business and in terms of creativity?
The biggest challenge has been the learning curve of running an online business and finding the patience to trust in the process. Financially, it is a very difficult time for brands to get the funding needed to grow, and I certainly feel that. I feel like I am constantly comparing my brands to others, and trying to keep up with how fast brands do product drops. Unfortunately, for a small business like VIGYL, ideas just seem to take longer to bring to life!
What makes VIGYL different from other candle brands?
I get this question a lot, and the reality is I don't look at VIGYL as just a candle brand.
From a product quality perspective, our candles tick all the boxes that many premium candle brands do. I would argue that our vessels are actually reusable, and our packaging is fresher than most of what's in the market - but it's really in the storytelling and scent curation that I'm trying to colour outside of the lines. What makes VIGYL different I hope is that it pushes the limits on how consumers engage with the product they choose to live with. Key word being choose.
What has been your biggest achievement with VIGYL?
The biggest achievement or highlight with VIGYL has got to be the ‘Hanlan’s’ candle collaboration we did with the Rainbow Railroad organization. The project is a culmination of so many personal passions: my love for candles, the queer community and of course as a Toronto resident, the iconic Hanlan’s beach! Designing and developing that candle allowed me to work with so many talented queer creatives and really served as the introduction of the VIGYL brand to many of my peers. The fact that we were able to raise almost 5k for the Rainbow Railroad organization with that candle is just amazing.
How do you think LGBTQ+ brands can support one another and the community?
Collaborate! I think often brands, especially newer brands, hesitate to connect with other founders to ask for advice or support—for a variety of reasons. Personally, I was nervous about seeming inexperienced or not being taken seriously, thinking I needed to build the brand to a certain level before anyone would be interested in speaking to or working with VIGYL.
I’ve learned that was just my inner saboteur and almost every founder I have had the pleasure of meeting will at least take the call to hear your idea, and potentially even meet up for a coffee. The great thing about collaboration is that it can be an inexpensive way to reach a new audience, or test out something different, and likely make friends with your fellow collaborators along the way. Be authentic, find ways to do good (even if they are small), and don’t forget that you were once just starting out too!