Zernelle Gillie

Growing up as a teen on the west side of Chicago during the 80s, the streets were always calling, especially during the gang and crack era. But through it all, music was my refuge—especially House music. It was more than just a sound; it was a lifeline that lifted me up and made me feel alive. That feeling sparked a dream: I wanted to be a DJ and share the power of music with the world.

In between that teenage dream and adulthood, life happened, yet, I never strayed far from my first love: music. Over the years, I've launched a record label and a clothing line, co-founded a record fair and event series, and traveled the world, playing music that connects people across continents. Then, the COVID pandemic brought everything to a standstill. DJ gigs were canceled, tours were halted, and my residencies in LA and NY were put on pause as venues closed their doors. I found myself asking, "What's next?"

That’s when I turned to another lifelong passion: fragrances. From a young age, wearing my dad's Pierre Cardin made me feel special and ignited a deep love for scents. Over time, I’ve built a collection of hundreds of fragrances, and much like with music, I wanted to share that love with others. So, I combined my passions and created a musically inspired fragrance line. And with that, Zernell Gillie Fragrances was born.

This love for scent, without the ability to experience it in the usual way, ignited a passion within Samira to create a fragrance brand that transcends mere scent. House of Iyrah is an exploration of how fragrance can be more than just a sensory experience. It’s about the feelings, memories, and stories that scents can tell, not only through what they smell like, but through what they evoke in us.