About
I believe that beauty, memory, and culture are not relics of the past — they are the invisible foundations of the future. As the founder of Facticerie, the world’s first museum dedicated to preserving the artistry of perfume factices, I work at the crossroads of fragrance, memory, and cultural preservation. Honored by Guinness World Records for assembling the largest factice collection ever recorded, my mission extends beyond artifacts: it is about rescuing forgotten emotions and honoring the craftsmanship of invisible heritage. Through Eau de Luxe, a five-time Inc. 500 honoree and Crain’s Fast 50 company, I helped redefine luxury beauty distribution — blending rare product sourcing with emotional branding and storytelling. Today, through Facticerie and creative initiatives like Lumen, I continue to challenge traditional luxury narratives, building a future where preservation is the new innovation. I am passionate about exploring how scent, memory, and artistry can shape the next era of cultural identity. Through Rolling Stone Culture Council, I hope to collaborate with fellow visionaries who believe that creativity is not just an expression — it is a responsibility to memory, to beauty, and to time itself.
Sudhir Gupta
Published content
expert panel
The way your brand responds online can either build trust or push customers away. Social media and other digital platforms give businesses more direct access to their audiences — and their feedback — than ever before. This creates a valuable opportunity for brands to strengthen customer relationships, build loyalty and address legitimate concerns in real time. Online responses from your brand must be handled carefully, though: Generic, defensive or unempathetic replies can quickly backfire, leaving customers feeling dismissed and disconnected. To that end, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council highlight common mistakes to avoid when responding to customers online, and what you should do instead.
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Here are a few signs your new campaign or product isn’t resonating with your audience — and what you can do to fix it. Launching a new campaign or product feels like a win, but the work isn't done after the initial rollout. What really matters is how your customers respond — including the signs they'll send if something isn’t resonating. Sometimes it’s not outright criticism but silence, lack of engagement or metrics that just don't add up. While these responses may sting in the moment, they can guide you toward your next right step. Below, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share common signs your launch isn't landing and tips on how to respond.
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Build smarter, lead with purpose and turn your one-person operation into a successful business. Launching and growing a culture-focused business on your own means setting the vision, making the deals, managing operations and finding the next big opportunity — all without a built-in team to share the load. To be successful, you’ll need to prioritize what matters most while also tapping into the right networks and creating systems that keep you moving forward without burning out. It’s a balancing act that calls for both creative drive and sharp business instincts. To help you make it work, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their best advice for turning a solo venture into a sustainable, successful business.
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Big risks can lead to big rewards — if you’re willing to take the leap. In any career, there comes a moment when you have to decide whether to play it safe or take a chance. For some, that risk might mean leaving a stable job, starting from scratch or trusting an unconventional idea. These bold moves don’t always follow a straight path, but they often lead to growth, opportunity and lasting impact. To explore what it really means to put it all on the line, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the biggest risks they’ve ever taken in their careers — and the valuable lessons those experiences taught them.
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Whether you’re leading a brand, launching a startup or shaping cultural experiences, here are six timeless lessons I’ve learned from this extraordinary fragrance.
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These entrepreneur-recommended habits and mindset shifts can help you navigate the daily pressures of owning and running a business. Entrepreneurship can be thrilling and rewarding, but it’s also one of the most stressful paths a person can choose for their career. From long hours and personal financial pressure to constant decision fatigue and uncertainty, business ownership can eventually take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. So how do seasoned entrepreneurs stay balanced under pressure? Here, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share the stress-relieving habits and strategies that have helped them thrive. Whether you need to delegate more, reflect on your mission or build a stronger support system, these insights can help you find calm in the chaos.
Company details
The Facticerie
Company bio
Facticerie is a museum of invisible things — a sanctuary where memory, scent, and lost artistry are rescued from the edges of history. Founded by Sudhir Gupta, Facticerie is the world’s first institution dedicated to the preservation of perfume factices: oversized, handcrafted fragrance bottles once created by the likes of Lalique and Baccarat. In an era obsessed with speed and disposability, Facticerie dares to slow time — honoring the forgotten craftsmanship, emotions, and cultural stories once carried through scent. More than a museum, Facticerie is a cultural movement: a rebellion against forgetting, a rebellion against the soulless acceleration of beauty into commodity. It is where the invisible becomes visible, where memory becomes art, and where beauty refuses to vanish. Because some things are too rare — and too human — to ever be forgotten.