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NO. 30 - Early spring 2018

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The best of

british FROM ENGLISH FIELDS TO FLACONS

SMELLFIES TO MAKE YOU SMILE

all the LATEST LAUNCHES

editor’s letter In this edition of The Scented Letter, we invite you to share in a glorious celebration of our British fragrance heritage. Because even beyond our important role to play in the history of fragrance, Britain is once again becoming a fragrant force to be reckoned with. At the Perfume Society HQ, barely a week goes by without news reaching us of art projects, collaborations and entire new fragrance brands that are completely (and in some cases, literally) home-grown. So we couldn’t be more proud to dedicate an entire edition to all the fragrant excitement on our doorstep. We start with a fascinating timeline of British perfume houses. On p.11-26, Suzy Nightingale shares the story of many of the famous names which illuminate our scented history, from Floris (founded in 1730 and still going strong on Jermyn Street, in London’s St. James’s), right up to today, with perfume houses like Floral Street, Ormonde Jayne and Shay & Blue flying the flag for home-grown scent creativity on the world stage. Meanwhile, down in Dorset’s Tarrant Valley, one new British perfume house is daring to make scents that take us from field to flacon. We’ve all heard about field-to-fork, in food circles; today, Parterre are doing that with fragrance. They’re successfully experimenting with growing, distilling and blending ingredients from their own fields, transforming them into stunning contemporary fragrances in a production facility just a few yards away, while confounding the naysayers who doubted that vetiver (among other crops) could ever be encouraged to flourish on our soils. I paid a visit to this incredibly exciting new venture, and report back on p.28. English Fields also happen to have been the inspiration for Jo Malone London’s latest collection. Tim Walker’s amazing photographs on p.38-41 capture the countryside vibe of the range, with his usual flourish of eccentricity. But what fascinates us, at The Perfume Society, is how English grains – barley, rye, oats and more – have been captured alongside wildflowers in this innovative collection by perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui, who shares the fascinating creative process behind the five scents. And as a bit of fun, do check out this year’s favourite entries to our #smellfie competition. For the past few years on 21st March – National Fragrance Day – we’ve been inviting our perfume-loving followers to post ‘smellfies’ of themselves with a favourite fragrance (or an entire fragrance wardrobe, in some cases). We love, love, love looking at these creative Instagrams and tweets – and we think you’ll enjoy them too, on p.32.

Can you see our flags waving, from where you are…?

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The Perfume Society

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The

scented Letter

contributors

scented The

letter

Editor

Josephine Fairley jo@perfumesociety.org Designer

Jenny Semple enquiries@jenny sempledesign.co.uk Advertising Manager

Lorna McKay lorna@perfumesociety.org Senior writer

Suzy Nightingale suzy@perfumesociety.org

Darren Scott

Victoria Evans

Darren is a writer, editor and freelance journalist. He’s written for more publications than he cares to shake a stick at. While Editor of Gay Times, he developed a keen interest in fragrance and beauty, debunking the myth that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks by figuring out how to make an old dog look younger and smell great. (And he’s not talking about his pug, Toby). Darren talks about the many things that cross his path on Twitter @darren_scott and Instagram @mrdarrenscott

Victoria is newest to join The Perfume Society team, helping to curate our Discovery Boxes, picture-researching The Scented Letter and running the all-important Customer Service Desk. After a degree in History of Art, Victoria worked as Gallery Manager for The Jerwood Gallery, and as Programme Assistant for Turner Contemporary in Margate. She has a longstanding love of perfume, beauty and fashion, and in her spare time runs a vintage store on etsy.com, GoldLadyVintage. Follow her on Instagram: @oioivictoria

Carson Parkin-Fairley

Jodie Young

Carson – who helped the #smellfie campaign reach its peak this year – has recently moved to the Kent seaside town of Ramsgate (incidentally salty seaside scents are her favourite). She spends her time taking pretty pictures of perfume, dashing to launches, and interviewing perfumers. She has recently taken up smelling everything – which often delays her boyfriend whilst on long walks – but is essential when trying to absorb all the olfactory delights the world has to offer. Her Instagram is @carsonparkinfairley

Jodie is our Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships here at The Perfume Society. After studying for a degree in Fine Art, she went on to work at advertising agencies in London and then Sydney. She still likes to dabble in the arts and has her own studio not far from TPS office! When she is not meeting with brands and working on our marketing plans, she can be found running. She just completed her first half marathon! Her Instagram name is @jodieleeyoung

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Maggie Alderson

HEAD OF SOCIAL MEDIA/EVENTS

Carson Parkin-Fairley carson@perfumesociety.org HEAD OF MARKETING

Jodie Young jodie@perfumesociety.org buying assistant

Victoria Evans victoria@perfumesociety.org Contact us info@perfumesociety.org c/o The Clubhouse 8 St James’s Square London SW1Y 4JU 07502-258759 The Scented Letter is a free online/downloadable magazine for subscribers to The Perfume Society

The Scented Letter is produced for The Perfume Society by Perfume Discovery Ltd. All information and prices are correct at the time of going to press and may no longer be so on the date of publication. © 2017 The Perfume Society All text, graphics and illustrations in The Scented Letter are protected by UK and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted or otherwise distributed by any means without explicit permission. 4 The scented Letter

contents OUR FRAGRANT HERITAGE

When We think of the great fragrance houses, our minds may wander across the water to France or the sunny climes of Italy (both of whom regularly duke it out while laying claim to being ‘the birthplace of perfumery’). But for the sheer number of historical perfume houses still flourishing – and an everburgeoning number of new perfumers and fledgling niche brands, many independently owned – here at The Perfume Society, we wanted to dedicate a large chunk of this issue to those who continue to fly the flag for British fragrance.

floris – founded 1730

This edition of the magazine could easily have become an encyclopaedia. We invite you to explore Britain’s amazing fragrant heritage over the following pages – including a quintessential scent suggestion for each perfume house that to us, captures their magic. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. 12 the scented Letter

Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa.

Selling scents for nearly three centuries, the long-distinguished house of Floris first began in the dreams of one Juan Famenias Floris, who bravely sailed from his native Minorca to London in 1730. Marrying an English girl, he settled in business as a barber on Jermyn Street within the fashionable St. James’s area, first making hair combs and then assuaging his homesickness by blending fragrant oils he’d transported from Europe. Customers soon took to ordering bespoke blends, all recorded in leather-bound ledgers, enabling Floris could re-create them should further supplies be required in the future – and thus a legend was born. Many of those original ledgers, order forms and letters of thanks are still in existence, preserved by successive generations of the Floris family, and offering a uniquely fascinating glimpse of British fragrant taste through the ages. Their books boast orders from Admirals serving under Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale, George IV, through to Winston Churchill; in 1820, Floris received the first of 16 Royal Warrants and retains the title: Perfumers to HM The Queen Elizabeth II and Manufacturers of Toilet Preparations to HRH The Prince of Wales. And then there was Marilyn Monroe. The scent the world’s biggest sex-symbol always made sure to stock up on? In their extraordinary archive (some of which is on display in the rear of their Jermyn Street boutique), Floris happen to have an order form detailing six bottles of their surprisingly unisex and greenly fresh

Rose Geranium, to be sent to her hotel in Beverly Hills. The original Floris shop still stands on Jermyn Street. (A couple of generations ago, fragrances were actually manufactured two floors below street level, in a basement known as ‘the mine’.) Recently refurbished, the boutique many other intriguing artefacts to discover on display, along with a wide wardrobe of perfumes (both charmingly ‘vintage’ and refreshingly contemporary) to explore. Edward Bodenham – an ancestor of Juan Famenias Floris himself – is the current Perfumery Director at Floris, with fragrance clearly in his blood. As he explains: ‘I feel immensely proud to be part of the family business and to have the opportunity to help introduce our perfume house to a new generation. I have such fond memories of visiting the shop from a young age, and it is very nostalgic for me to be around the fragrances that I have grown up with my whole life. They really are like old friends to me.’ No matter how fascinating or notable their past, however, no perfume house could merely trade off their history. So as Edward notes – and new creations like sun-drenched Oriental Soullé Amber and Honey Oud testify – Floris are ‘always evolving. We have to be experimental and explorative when working on new fragrances – in just the same way my forefathers were in their day.’ Adding: ‘I hope that they would be proud of our creations today.’ No question about it, in our minds. And we say: here’s to the next 300 years or so, Floris.

Quintessential scent Enjoy the understated elegance of Floris Jermyn street, the fragrance that pays homage to their roots – blending vetiver and violet with gin-tinged juniper and coriander on a cleanly musky base. £120 for 100ml eau de parfum florislondon.com

our fragrant heritage THE BEST OF BRITISH With home-grown perfumery in the ascendance, our round-up of the finest fragrance houses these isles have to offer

28 green shoots FABULOUS – FROM FIELD TO FLACON

Jo Fairley talks to the founders of Parterre – one of the boldest British fragrance ventures ever launched

smile, please #INSTAGLAM!

going with the grain FIELDS OF DREAMS

We celebrated National Fragrance Day with our annual Instagram competition for the best #smellfie on social media

The creative journey for Jo Malone London’s cereal-inspired collection (yes, really!) took Mathilde Bijaoui to meadows – and bakeries

bags of fun ANYA SMELLS (GREAT)

it takes me right back THE TARDIS

Anya Hindmarch and Lyn Harris are the dream team behind the most happy-making collection imaginable of scented candles

We think of scent as a time machine – but for editor and writer Darren Scott his touchstone smell is just that

regulars EDITOR’S lETTER 3 CONTRIBUTORS 4 NOSING AROUND 6 LATEST LAUNCHES 44

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on the scent of news

nosing around For this edition, we bring you news of lovely layering opportunities – and the ever-more-enchanting world of home fragrance

New & noteworthy

Ashleigh & Burwood conjure up visions of country estates, adventurous eccentrics and pioneering voyagers with their candles and diffusers. Collections have names like Sir Hoppingsworth, Monarch of the Forest and Owl Night Long. £38 each ashleigh-burwod.co.uk Meanwhile, East Sussex-based Lavender & Lillie’s globetrotting inspirations are reflected in their scented ranges Praslin Seychelles, Palace Road India, Grand Canal Venice and (wave a little flag, please) Dover Street London, with soaps and hand creams on offer alongside the gorgeous silver-lidded candles. From £12 for soap to £42 to candles lavenderandlillie.com

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“

Perfume follows you; it chases you and lingers behind you. It’s a reference mark. Perfume makes silence talk.

At home with Atelier Cologne

Sonia Rykiel

”

Exciting, or what? Leading Cologne name Atelier Cologne now offer coollooking candles in Venetian blue apothecary pots, each adorned with a leather tag. The 10 candles are inspired by places, from the Vanille Nolita candle (celebrating the hip New York district where they opened their first boutique), via Orange Positano and Bergamote Shanghai through to Rose London, which has been flickering in the corner of The Perfume Society office while we put together this issue. (The accompanying matches are striking in every way, too.) £55 selfridges.com

Simply red… Cherished British design star Orla Kiely has chosen geranium as the ‘star’ ingredient for her eye-popping, nose-delighting new home fragrance offering, set to burn brightly in homes across Blighty. Diffuser £32/Candle £25 johnlewis.com

130 years and flickering

A big hand for… Francis Kurkdjian’s new layering options. Two beautifully-crafted fragrances have made their way into formulations set to soothe and scent our mitts. Luminous citrus Aqua Universalis and the exquisite, Marie Antoinette-worthy A la Rose mean our extremities have never smelled so gorgeous. £35 for 70g hand cream franciskurkdjian.com

Calling all jasmine-lovers: Lalique’s new candle is a must, based on Grasse jasmine – clean, fresh, bright and with just a hint of green to it. Like burning bliss, it comes wrapped up in the sleekest of black vessels, emblazoned with the Lalique anniversary emblem. In the absence of lighting candles on a cake, we’ll light this as a tribute. £62 for 190g (burn time 40-50 hours) lalique.com

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on the scent of news

Flower power Helping to put sustainability firmly on the fragrance agenda is Floral Street’s new bath and body line, in packaging made from a by-product of sugar cane, which is entirely recyclable. But it’s what’s inside that’s got our heart racing, though: gently cleansing Body Wash and luscious Body Cream, infused with four of their contemporary floral scents Wonderland Peony, Iris Goddess, Neon Rose and Wild Vanilla Orchid. In brightly-coloured packaging that also happens to be rather green.

Your chance to become a ‘perfumer’… Creating a bespoke perfume is something many dream of but few can afford – so step forward The Perfume Studio Bespoke Collection. A DIY kit, it offers 21 pre-blended accords to choose from, each created by esteemed in-house perfumer François Robert. Simply select on-line your favourite six to mix at home (and there’s the option to personalise your bottle for an extra £9.95). £49 theperfumestudio.com

£18-22 for 200ml floralstreet.com

L’Occitane’s sweet spot Just opened on cool-again Regent Street, near Piccadilly Circus, is L’Occitane’s spacious 6,450 sq foot flagship store. As if the fragrances, body indulgences and award-winning skincare aren’t enough to lure you inside, whisking you to Provence via sounds and smells, there’s another reason to indulge yourself with a visit: treatments at the Hand Care bar are accompanied by a complimentary Pierre Hermé macaron, from the patissier’s in-store café. 74-76 Regent Street, London W1B 5RL/020-7494 0467 uk.loccitane.com

We’ve heard it all, now… A spoof? Or a whole new fragrance category? Inventor and comedian Attila Csensk has been seeking to crowdfund capital to create Smart Fart, a pill that promises to perfume and mask personal gas, which he hopes ultimately to offer over 150 different fragrance options. (Just for fun, we recommend you check out indiegogo.com – simply key in ‘Smart Fart’, and marvel.)

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a whiff of history

The great noses of our time

christopher sheldrake For this edition of The Scented Letter, we’re bringing British perfumer Christopher Sheldrake out of the wings and placing him in the spotlight. For many years, Sheldrake has been intimately involved with the creation of some truly outstanding scents – including those produced via a longstanding collaboration with Serge Lutens, for whom (under Lutens’ creative guidance) he has made almost every fragrance in the line. Most recently, Sheldrake has also been the ‘guardian’ of Chanel’s fragrances, ensuring that ‘Chanel No.5 always smells like Chanel No.5’, as he once told us. That means quality-controlling every batch of rose de Maï, ylang ylang, vanilla and more, to make certain that what we spritz onto our skin, year after year, is utterly consistent – and we’re not just talking No.5, but Chanel’s whole scent portfolio. His key role, he explains, is to monitor ‘everything that comes into the company – and everything that goes out of the company. That is what the perfumer at Chanel has always done,’ he once told Basenotes.com. ‘We regularly go to talk to the people who grow the plants, whether it’s rose, jasmine or iris in the south of France, with our specialists in the Indian Ocean – or, more recently, with our reforestation programme in New Caledonia [for sandalwood].’ Originally, Christopher Sheldrake planned to become an architect. But he switched to perfumery after spending time in Grasse, where he’d travelled to work on his French. He

took a three-month work experience placement at the fragrance suppliers Charabot; as he puts it, ‘I taught a little bit of English to the perfumers and a retired perfumer taught me a little bit about perfume. After about three months, he said, “I think you’ve got a nose. Would you like to stay?” So I stayed another three months, then six months, then two years – and architecture was in the past.’ In the early years of his career, Sheldrake spent a few years working for Chanel in Paris alongside Jacques Polge, before leaving for Quest International (now Givaudan). While at Quest, in addition to creating several signature fragrances for SpaceNK, and work for Avon, he collaborated with

Serge Lutens on literally dozens of creations. His bold and diverse signature can be enjoyed in fragrances ranging from 1992’s iconic Feminité du Bois (with fellow nose Pierre Bourdon), via 1993’s va-va-voom Ambre Sultan, right through to more recent offerings like L’Orpheline (with its notes of ashes and musk), and incensepowered L’Incendiaire. He has proved himself extraordinarily deft at translating Serge Lutens’ childhood inspirations and memories into evocative scents. In 2005, meanwhile, Christopher Sheldrake returned to Chanel as Director of Research & Development for fragrance. When it comes to his present role, he’s quoted as saying quite simply that ‘Two noses are better than one.’ Never one to seek the limelight, he is said to have been involved with Jacques Polge in creating the debut Les Exclusifs fragrances, including 28 La Pausa, 31 rue Cambon and Chanel No.18. And since Olivier Polge arrived at Chanel to work alongside his father as Fragrance Creator, Christopher Sheldrake remains a key member of the Chanel team, continuing to bring his years of expertise to one of the most dynamic and exciting perfume houses in history. You may never see his name on a perfume label. Or even on a press release, come to that. (And we’ve a hunch that’s perhaps just how Christopher Sheldrake likes it.) But can we give a welldeserved round of applause, please, for this unsung great of the olfactive world? Jo Fairley

Just a ‘taste’ (as it were) of the fragrances Christopher Sheldrake has been involved in creating

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perfumed promotion

Let there be light Fragrance experts Molton Brown #AwakenTheCultIcon with their unmistakable Orange & Bergamot – gorgeous new layerable luxuries (and a refresh of the EDT) First, let’s re-wind: to the hip Molton Brown hair salon on London’s South Molton Street. In 1973, it became the place for rock stars, actors, musicians, models and all manner of famous faces to have their tresses tamed. (The name? A combination of the street itself, and the fashion-forward emporium Brown’s, owned by the salon’s cofounder Caroline Burstein’s parents, just a few doors away.) Flash forward – to 1984, and the launch of one of the first-ever luxury liquid hand soaps. Could anyone have imagined Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot would go on to become a truly iconic scent…? But since then, this inimitable creation has become incredibly widely-loved – and also graced the guest suites of the most distinguished hotels around the world. The original eau de toilette, by perfumer Michael Pickthall, became a cult success – but Orange & Bergamot eau de toilette has now been revived and refreshed, and is poised to bring back the sunlight into your life… So: how does a contemporary perfumer work with something so iconic – staying true to the character of the original, while adding a touch of modernity to keep the fragrance utterly fresh? Wisely staying with their original English fragrance house of CPL Aromas, Molton Brown chose their Director of Perfume, Beverley Bayne, to take up the challenge. Inspired by ‘the freshness and longevity with the natural feel of citrus fruits and flowers of Michael’s original creation,’ Beverley emphasises it was important for her ‘to keep his distinctive signature, infusing contemporary ingredients such as blossoming neroli and bright amber whilst upholding its enduringly happy essence.’ ‘Enduringly happy’ is definitely the phrase we’d use to describe Orange & Bergamot. One spritz and you’re transported from the damp pavements

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of London to the light-filled royal courtyards of Seville. Bursting with bitter orange to set the senses alive, sun-drenched bergamot and mandarin trickle into on-trend neroli and a cardamom-flecked freshness of galbanum. Always pushing the fragrance boundaries, the floral touch of ylang ylang is actually found here in the base, entwining cedarwood with its warmth to leave a musky trail with tendrils of sunshine-infused happiness surrounding you like a hug that lasts all day. Destined for a next generation to fall in love with, we predict life-long fans and the newly converted will be beating a path to Molton Brown boutiques to try Orange & Bergamot’s luminescent treats on their own skin. And as if the radiantly reinvigorated eau de toilette wasn’t enough, Orange & Bergamot taps into the hot trend for layering – giving you the chance to light up your life every single day, with the new Body Luxuries collection. So we invite you to…

…Infuse your bath with the neroli-rich oil for an indulgently relaxing trip to the Mediterranean. Radiant Bathing Oil/£39 for 200ml …Refine and rejuvenate lacklustre skin with exfoliating bitter orange peel and apricot kernels for a silky-soft touch. Radiant Body Polisher/£34 for 275g …Massage nourishing dry oil for an incandescent glow (we use a smidge to tame frizzy hair for a scented swish!) Radiant Body Oil/£36 for 100ml …Lavish the fragrance on pulse points (layering with moisturising products helps the scent lock-in to your skin), adding to your scarf, hair or jacket for warm wafts of bliss all day. Eau de Toilette/£45 for 50ml We invite you to share the love for these new Orange & Bergamot indulgences via #AwakenTheCultIcon. Because don’t we all deserve some extra sunshine in our lives…?

Buy them in store or at moltonbrown.co.uk

OUR FRAGRANT HERITAGE

best of

british best of

british From the St. Jamesâ€™s perfumery which scented Georgian royalty through to a modern-day female Indiana Jones of fragrance who searches the jungles for unique ingredients, we present our round-up of the finest fragrance houses these isles have to offer Words:

ÂŠ eteri; ksena32- Fotolia.com

Suzy Nightingale

The

scented Letter

OUR FRAGRANT HERITAGE

When we think of the great fragrance houses, our minds may wander across the water to France or the sunny climes of Italy (both of whom regularly duke it out while laying claim to being ‘the birthplace of perfumery’). But for the sheer number of historical perfume houses still flourishing – and an everburgeoning number of new perfumers and fledgling niche brands, many of them independently owned – here at The Perfume Society, we wanted to dedicate a large chunk of this issue to those who are flying the flag for British fragrance. This edition of the magazine could easily have become an encyclopaedia, actually. But we invite you to explore Britain’s amazing fragrant heritage over the following pages – including a quintessential scent suggestion for each perfume house that to us, captures their magic.

12 The scented Letter

Floris’s flagship, top, is barely changed from the picture on the opposite page. It was recently refitted (retaining many Listed elements of the interior) – but few would guess that two floors

below the parquet floor is ‘the mine’, where fragrances were once bottled on-site – as Michael Bodenham (ancestor of current Perfumery Director Edward) can be seen doing, above

Floris – founded 1730 Selling scents for nearly three centuries, the long-distinguished house of Floris first began in the dreams of one Juan Famenias Floris, who bravely sailed from his native Minorca to London in 1730. Marrying an English girl, he settled in business as a barber on Jermyn Street within the fashionable St James’s area, first making hair combs and then assuaging his homesickness by blending fragrant oils he’d transported from Europe. Customers soon took to ordering bespoke blends, all recorded in leather-bound ledgers, enabling Floris to re-create them should further supplies be required in the future – and thus a legend was born. Many of those original ledgers, order forms and letters of thanks are still in existence, preserved by successive generations of the Floris family, and offering a uniquely fascinating glimpse of British fragrant taste through the ages. Their books boast orders from Admirals serving under Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale, George IV, through to Winston Churchill. In 1820, Floris received the first of 16 Royal Warrants and retains the title Perfumers to HM The Queen Elizabeth II and Manufacturers of Toilet Preparations to HRH The Prince of Wales. And then there was Marilyn Monroe. The scent the world’s biggest sex-symbol always made sure to stock up on? In their extraordinary archive (some of which is on display in the rear of their Jermyn Street boutique), Floris happen to have an order form detailing six bottles of their surprisingly unisex and greenly fresh

Rose Geranium, to be sent to Marilyn’s hotel in Beverly Hills. The original Floris shop still stands on Jermyn Street. Until a couple of generations ago, fragrances were actually manufactured two floors below street level, in a basement known as ‘the mine’. Recently refurbished, the boutique offers many other intriguing artefacts to discover on display, along with a wide wardrobe of perfumes (both charmingly ‘vintage’ and refreshingly contemporary) to explore. Edward Bodenham – descended from Juan Famenias Floris himself – is the current Perfumery Director at Floris, with fragrance clearly in his blood. As he explains: ‘I feel immensely proud to be part of the family business and to have the opportunity to help introduce our perfume house to a new generation. I have such fond memories of visiting the shop from a young age, and it is very nostalgic for me to be around the fragrances that I have grown up with my whole life. They really are like old friends to me.’ No matter how fascinating or notable their past, however, no perfume house could merely trade off their history. So as Edward notes – and new creations like sun-drenched Oriental Soullé Amber and Honey Oud demonstrate – Floris are ‘always evolving. We have to be experimental and explorative when working on new fragrances, in just the same way my forefathers were in their day.’ Adding, modestly: ‘I hope that they would be proud of our creations today.’ No question about it, in our minds. And we say: here’s to the next 300 years (or so), Floris.

Quintessential scent Enjoy the understated elegance of Floris Jermyn Street, the fragrance that pays homage to the roots of this perfume house – blending vetiver and violet with gin-tinged juniper and coriander on a cleanly musky base. £120 for 100ml eau de parfum florislondon.com

OUR FRAGRANT HERITAGE

yardley london – founded 1770

Whispers of Yardley London‘s roots actually go all the way back to the reign of King Charles I, when a young man by the name of William Yardley is said to have paid the King a large sum for the concession to supply all the soap for the City of London. The Great Fire of London in 1666 wiped out exact details of the enterprise, but what we do know is that lavender was used to perfume this soap. The year 1770 marks the formal founding of the brand that we now know as Yardley, however – reestablished in the City of London by two families, called Cleaver and Yardley. Their families had become linked through marriage, when Hermia Yardley married William Cleaver. (Stay with us, here; there are a lot of Williams in this story!) Cleaver then persuaded his father-in-law to act as guarantor to Coutts Bank for a £20,000 loan against the Cleaver family soap and perfumery business – and when he couldn’t repay the loan, Hermia’s dad had to pay up. He did so – but the deal was that the business would be known as Yardley, moving forward. They went on to flourish, proudly exhibiting their wares in Hyde Park’s Great Exhibition. By 1879 no fewer than 22 varieties of Yardley soaps were being shipped to the US. Along the way, the business had several name changes – but by 1905, Yardley & Co. Ltd. (as it was by then known)

Top: This vintage ad for Yardley Bond Street references their store on Old Bond Street (above). As their contemporary packaging shows, however, Yardley are keeping pace with modern tastes

14 The scented Letter

Quintessential scent Combining crisp bergamot and earthy clary sage, Yardley English Lavender’s elegant lavender heart is perked further by eucalyptus and geranium with a flurry of jasmine, chamomile and violet petals on a woody, patchouli base. £9.99 for 50ml eau de toilette yardleylondon.co.uk

was recognised as one of the world’s leading soap and perfumery houses – a status cemented in 1910 when they opened an elegant shop at 8 New Bond Street. The store became a real London landmark and a destination for the well-dressed to seek out their scented goods. Researching this history, it was interesting to discover how many royals have bestowed their patronage on fragrance houses throughout the years – and Yardley London have collected a fair few over the centuries. First (in 1921) was Prince Edward, eldest son of Edward VII, the fashionable Prince of Wales who later gave up his throne for Wallis Simpson. Yardley became ‘Purveyors of Soap to King George VI‘, later to our own Queen Elizabeth II, and more recently, in 1995, the Prince of Wales appointed Yardley London as his manufacturers of toilet preparations. In common with other heritage houses that have continued to thrive, Yardley didn’t rest on their laurels (or lavender, come to that), with Twiggy becoming their ‘face’ of the swinging 60s and supermodel Linda Evangelista signed to front their campaigns of the 1990s. The traditional scents are still going strong – English Rose, Lily of the Valley and English Lavender remain on their bestsellers list – but the contemporary perfumes have also gained much acclaim for their quality and value. Polaire, for example, is a genuinely stunning, modern Chypre, Ink a spiced plum and leather-laden Oriental fit for any hipster, while Daisy, a dewy green and really delightfully fresh perfume, was inspired by Catherine Middleton (now the Duchess of Cambridge). Nearly 400 years after Yardley London first began scenting royalty, city-dwellers and tourists from around the world with their lavender soap, the fragrance world certainly owes a very great deal to Hermia Yardley’s generous father.

Wood’s of Windsor – founded 1770

china pomanders using lavender When a small apothecary’s shop flowers and rosebuds, inspired by opened in 1770 – just a stone’s the original formulations. Initially throw from Windsor Castle – it they were sold from a small shop, served not only the townsfolk of converted from a storeroom at Windsor, but also the Royal family the back of the premises – but by and countless of their distinguished 1974, Woods of Windsor was being visitors, who required beautifullyshowcased in swanky department scented products to carry out their stores such as Liberty and Harrods. daily ablutions. Their sights, however, were The fact that we can enjoy these really set on one day releasing a fragrant treats today is thanks to an fine fragrance again. In 1981 they extraordinary scent discovery. It is launched a gentleman’s Cologne, surely every perfume-lover’s dream inspired by a fragrance that was to happen across the original originally used to scent Spanish recipes for a once-prominent leather. To further reinforce the house – and that happened to brand’s extraordinary heritage Roger and Kathleen Knowles. In and history, an 1850 etching was 1970, the couple bought a runadded to the logo design. By 1983, down pharmacy and set about Woods of Windsor had been truly clearing away debris that had recognised by earning accumulated in the attics a Queen’s Award and basements, left for Export, their behind when the scented goods business changed having been hands and its carried home fortunes ebbed Woods of Windsor Lily of the in countless and flowed. Valley is lushly green, sparkling like suitcases, Among the dewdrops on ruffled white petals. This a fragrant rubble and nodding flower is having a resurgence British rooms full in the perfume world – and this is a souvenir for of junk, they beautiful rendition. the tourists stumbled on £17.99 for 100ml eau de toilette who flock to a particularly woodsofwindsor.co.uk swoon over fragrant treasure:

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ancient recipe books and medical artefacts dating back to the founding of the shop. But the real jewel in this treasure trove was a collection of recipes for those scents, soaps and more that had served the residents of Windsor, centuries before. Fired-up by their discovery, in 1976 a newly revived Woods of Windsor released a room fragrance – Parfum d’Ambience – with scented drawer liners and a whole range of perfumery products, including pot pourri and

historic Windsor and its royal treasures every year. Today, Woods of Windsor’s portfolio of fragrances – muchloved classics, alongside contemporary creations like Blue Orchid & Water Lily, and White Jasmine – has an eye-catching new look. But look closely – on each label, there is a flag flying proudly over Windsor Castle, a fitting emblem for a fragrance name that still flies the flag for British perfumery the world over.

Woods of Windsor’s sleek, pillar bottles are adorned with a flag proudly flying over Windsor Castle, a short stroll from their store – which is seen in these thenand-now images

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Atkinsons – founded 1799

At just 18 years old, James Atkinson did something of a Dick Whittington by summoning his British pluck, packing up his knapsack and trundling from his home in Cumberland to seek his fortune as a fine perfumer in the big smoke – London (a city that badly needed scenting at that time). The French Revolution had put paid to the luxury goods trade of Paris, and so dandies and dilettantes who yearned to indulge in the vanities of wearing Colognes and using scented soaps and/or fragrant unguents for their hair, turned instead to the luxuries that London offered them. So legend has it, James Atkinson brought an actual bear on the journey from Cumberland – we imagine that made for an interesting voyage – to keep outside his first shop in Gerrard Street, a way of creating a sensation and drawing the crowds to his scented goods. The bear was utterly devoted to James, apparently,and became the icon of Atkinsons, featuring from the very start on the lids of their first product (a rosescented hair pomade for gentlemen). By 1832, more than 40 fragrances were also in production. White Rose went on to become the royal wedding perfume of 1893, with Princess Alexandra describing it as ‘a charming scent.’ Sadly in 1920, following the post-war shortages of raw materials that saw the decline of many a fragrance house, Atkinsons fell into financial difficulties, before being relaunched and revived in 2013 by Morris Profumi (egged on by John Bailey, then President of the British Society of Perfumers). Retaining plenty of their eccentric charm with a dose 16 The scented Letter

of contemporary quirkiness, Atkinsons recruited some of the most celebrated perfumers of our time – including Christine Nagel, Karine Dubreuil and Benoist Lapouza – to create more than a dozen new shareable fragrances. The result? As they put it, ‘Atkinsons and the growly bear have awoken from their slumber refreshed and revived.’ Even more excitingly, Atkinsons has now proudly opened a boutique in London’s Burlington Arcade – a few steps away from their former premises on Bond Street – proffering a selection of re-worked original scents and brand new fragrant delights. In addition to housing the most astonishing archive of bottes and labels in their upstairs ‘drawing room’, there truly is ‘something for everyone’ here (as one of their indepth fragrance consultations will prove). Scents range from the more traditional taste that nods to their heritage, right through to highly modern blends that dare to dally with exciting blends and humorous names – The Big Bad Cedar, Posh On The Green, The Oddfellow’s Bouquet. Is it a quirk of British perfumeries that they can wear their history with pride while cheekily tipping their hat to the future? We like to think so.

Quintessential scent For a time-travelling scent-sation, try the newly emblematic, awardwinning fragrance 24 Old Bond Street. Juniper, rose and black tea are swirled with oak-casked whisky for a bracingly distinctive British perfumed personality. £65 for 50ml eau de Cologne atkinsons1799.com

From top: historic documents, bottles (and bear statue), now archived in their Burlington Arcade salon (centre) – just around the corner from the original Bond Street Atkinsons boutique, bottom

OUR FRAGRANT HERITAGE

Penhaligon’s – founded 1870

Hot towels and steamily scented delights were the order of the day for customers flocking to the famous Piccadilly Turkish Baths on Jermyn Street and it was here that William Penhaligon (above) started working as a hairdresser in the 1860s. Originally from Penzance, Cornwall, his shrewd eye for business led to him opening a rival salon just down the street a few years later. There, Penhaligon began creating his very own fragrances, lotions and potions for a most discerning clientele to enjoy. 1891 saw what was then Penhaligon’s & Jeavons move to the even more prestigious premises of 33 St James Street and 66 Jermyn Street, with the two stores linked together at the rear. They announced to the press that not only were they the sole suppliers for the original Penhaligon’s ‘hit’ fragrance of Hammam Bouquet, but that both shops boasted a newfangled invention of electric lighting, a novelty at this point in retail. Clearly a whizz with the scissors and the scents, Penhaligon was appointed Royal Barber and Perfumer to the Royal Court during Queen Victoria’s reign and by 1903 his business was granted its first Royal Warrant from Queen Alexandra. Nearly a century and a half later, Penhaligon’s has added Royal Warrants from The Prince

of Wales (granted in 1988) and the Duke of Edinburgh (granted in 1956) to their regal roll call. 140+ years old they may be, but that doesn’t mean the techniques they use are stuck in a time-warp. Penhaligon’s consistently make the most of the newest fragrance technology – from CO2 extraction to Nature Print Technology and beyond – promising that ‘each bottle contains a blend of the very old and very new.’ Those distinctive bottles tap into their history, too; clear glass and brightly coloured bow-ties adorning the stoppers are a direct echo of William’s original design. Still made and produced in England, many of the original fragrances can still be found in the current collection, including Hamman Bouquet. Lately, however, Penhaligon’s have collaborated with some of the greats noses of modern times – including Bertrand Duchaufour, Olivia Giacobetti, Olivier Cresp and Alberto Morrillas. Penhaligon’s make it quite clear that they want to offer something more than simply traditional values, saying that for them ‘fragrance is first and foremost a passion’, and adding ‘we’re proud that our fragrances have stood the test of time and some remain on sale more than 100 years since their creation.’ Lately, a whole ‘family’ has been added to their already impressive stable of fragrances, the Penhaligon’s Portraits. Displaying more than a dash of exquisite eccentricity, we’re invited to get to know the characters, like The Ruthless Countess Dorothea, When trimming the Shah of who is ‘A most ferocious matriarch, Persia’s beard in 1871, William was known for her sharp mind, even fond of using a splash of Hammam sharper wit and a secret fondness Bouquet, his first creation. A blend of for the company of young men lavender, powdery orris, velvety rose, and scones.’ While described in creamy sandalwood and musks, it’s mischievously historical tones, the a classic for both sexes. fragrances completely have their £98 for 100ml eau de toilette fingers on the button of contemporary penhaligons.com fashions – much like the house of Penhaligon’s itself.

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William Penhaligon (top centre) attracted a high-class clientele to his stores – seen top and bottom, with a modern Penhaligon’s boutique, centre

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