Karol Sierra-Yanez launches TRAUM Fragrances, a line of luxury candles meant to inspire.
TRAUM founder Karol Sierra-Yanez
Karol Sierra-Yanez, the founder of TRAUM fragrances (traumfragrances.com), is also a full-time lawyer and mother of two young boys. Her desire to make and sell candles was not born as an entrepreneurial endeavor but as an emblem of inspiration. To her, the candles are more than a beautiful piece of decor with a divine smell, they are a reminder of all one can accomplish if only they dare to dream.
Sierra-Yanez came to the U.S. from Columbia when she was just 19, with no support from her family back home. She stayed with her gay uncle, who worked at Filene’s, Boston’s beloved and now shuttered iconic department store, and he shared his love of perfumes and candles with her. When she attended law school, all the while working full-time to make ends meet, she always kept a candle burning. “Candles level me and relax me through any kind of craziness. About a year ago, I asked my husband, what if we start a candle company?” she says.
The two dove headfirst into research and Sierra-Yanez took a class on perfumes and scent mixing. They soon realized that creating the type of sophisticated, unique scents they were looking for took a level of expertise they didn’t have. They partnered with an award-winning perfumer, developed proprietary fragrances and found a company in California that hand-pours candles using natural ingredients. They worked with a graphic designer to design the vessel and packaging, both based on Sierra-Yanez’s collection of vintage ceramics.
They named the company TRAUM, which is the German word for dream. Named both to encourage dreamers and as an homage to Sierra-Yanez’s husband’s German heritage. “It’s more than just a candle, it’s my story,” says Sierra-Yanez.
Photography by: JUAN DAVID FRANCO
