Brianna Arps

“I like to call myself an accidental entrepreneur,” Brianna “B.A.” Arps tells GO. “Truth is, I never ever, ever set out to build a fragrance company…but life had other plans.” After a decade-long career as an investigative journalist and beauty, fashion, and lifestyle editor, Arps was laid off in 2018 and turned to her lifelong passion for fragrance. Her frustration with “the lack of inclusive, transparent, values-driven options in the space” led Arps to form MOODEAUX, an award-winning fragrance brand, which promotes self-expression through eau de parfums and scented body care products scientifically developed with quality ingredients and sustainable packaging. Alongside launching MOODEAUX in 2021, Arps—a St. Louis native and graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism—established MOODEAUX’s Black in Fragrance initiative, which aims to create a holistic, worldwide support system for Black perfumers and fragrance entrepreneurs. Since then, MOODEAUX has won various awards, received grants and investment funds from Glossier and Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize, been featured on TODAY and Good Morning America, landed a partnership with Sephora Accelerate, and debuted as the first Black-owned fragrance brand sold at Credo. “In fragrance—an industry historically driven by rigid gender norms and narrow ideals—I felt compelled to build something more expansive,” says Arps. “MOODEAUX was born from the belief that identity is fluid, emotions are layered, and self-expression shouldn’t be boxed in or explained away.” –LE