This month, Literie is celebrating five years of turning memories into magic. Founded by Erica Werber on the belief that scent can transport us to the places we miss, the moments we cherish, and the stories we hold close—Literie has transformed everyday experiences into love letters in wax.
From candles inspired by bodega coffee runs and Central Park strolls to buzzy collaborations with Mean Girls, Clueless, and Emily in Paris, Literie’s storytelling has proven that fragrance is more than a product. In our conversation with Erica, she shares how a deeply personal idea sparked a fast-growing brand, the pop culture launch that sold out in days, and why staying scrappy is still her superpower.
What sparked the idea to turn the scent of NYC into a candle?
Literie was created as a pandemic hobby that I never thought would go anywhere. The original idea was to capture the scents of NYC that I missed when we were all locked up at home during the pandemic, especially the smell of the hot roasted nut carts in NYC. My father used to always stop by one of those carts on his way to visit me before he passed, so the aroma is very meaningful to me. Other things I missed, like Mr. Softee, flower shopping in Chelsea, and a coffee from the bodega, rounded out our initial candle offering. Once we launched, it was clear that there were many other people who missed these scents and were nostalgic for special memories the candles evoke, and we haven’t stopped growing since!
Your candles are basically love letters in wax—how do you choose which places, moments, or pop culture nods to turn into a scent?
Every candle that we create is something I have personally experienced. It allows the development of that candle, from the illustrations to the description on the back of the box, to be genuine and heartfelt. I think our customers recognize that, especially if they've experienced that moment themselves as well.
What’s one candle you launched on a cultural whim that totally surprised you in how well it did?
Without question, it's our "I'm Coming to the Cottage" candle. It was created on a whim after I watched Heated Rivalry and then saw how much the show… was present on social media, especially TikTok. We've done a few candles around pop culture moments, but none compare to the volume of sales we saw in a matter of days for this one. We've had to increase our production numbers on that candle three times already.
You’re still running Literie with a lean, all-female team. What’s been your secret to scaling smart and staying scrappy?
