What is the definition of Niche vs. Artisan?

Can somebody explain to me how this concept has been defined?

There are small artisanal perfumers like Andy Tauer

and there are fragrances under Guerlain, like a corner of niche issues ...

Here's a discussion of this topic at the salon de parfum.

***Thank you.***
Tomorrow I will read it at great length, but perusing it I can already tell that it will give me some answers. And, especially, in the last paragraph ... that we perfumistas continuously look for more scents, everywhere, and there is so much.

As a Niche Perfumer, I would define "Niche" as filling a gap left unfilled by other more known houses.

That niche could and would be quality, as compared to many mass market fragrances. That niche could be adventurousness or ferocity, or artistic gumption, but as for me and my "House" it also means using fantastic and expensive ingredients that make perfumes better, because they ARE better.

Mass market fragrances have to make them cheaply, to make the exhorbitant profits.

My ideal is the Art of Perfumery, with the best ingredients I can get my grubby little hands on, making what I call "Real Perfumes", because I use all the great stuff that mass market cannot by virtue of those maerials' costliness.

Paul Kiler
PK Perfumes

You are most welcome. Don't skip the comments--they're the best part! Lots of knowledgeable people weighed in on the question...

Enjoyed your article very much SheraPop and yes, esp the discussions.
It takes quite a bit time to read though..

PaulKlier, it is not so much that materials are so costly, it is the cost of advertisements (remember the multi-million dollar campaign of Chanel with Brad Pitt?), staff and above all distribution.

See for instance for how little money these 3 houses (Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard) offer their fragrances.. and people don't really know where to put them... if mainstream means 'widely available in most perfume stores, then they are niche but if niche means 'expensive' then they certainly won't fit.

For me niche is more about 'quaint', 'strange' 'adventurous' than about quality. If someone is an artisanal perfumer (someone who does everything him/herself) then prices can be very low.. sometimes so low that the snobs will distrust it.

Thanks DutchSniffer for your interesting input.