Having founded niche perfume house ORTIR Apothecari it will not surprise you to know that I am interested in the subject as well as the history of fragrance, knowing that every drop of perfume tells a story.
My current bedside reading tells the tale of the creation of the iconic Chanel No 5 fragrance. It is the backstory of how Coco Chanel decided on this composition over all others and is an exciting narrative mix of my favourite subjects – perfume, politics and powerful women.
The perfume industry is a fascinating as well as glamorous world and the past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for me and I have been lucky enough to have met with some incredibly talented people.
Last week I was invited to meet an individual at the height of her career. No name dropping but I will say that she heads up a team at one of the biggest global luxury brands. A world where perfume, politics and powerful men - as well as women - collide.
I was there to gain insight into the business side of the fragrance industry and I did so in spades, but what really struck me were the lessons I learnt from how she managed to create a work/ life balance where she and the values of the brand she worked for blended seamlessly.
Effortlessly elegant. Confident in herself.
Now, I cannot boast a link with haute couture, but ORTIR Apothecari certainly does embody many traits that tell my story. Growing and distilling from the land where I live has given me a unique understanding of key raw materials that work through my fragrance compositions.
Work and life inextricably linked.