Our new perfume gives a whole new lease of life to a traditional floral scent.
Understanding florals is an essential element of the perfumer’s art. In fact, humankind has been wearing rose perfume since approximately 3000BC. Ancient Egyptians used rose water to scent their hair, for example. Nowadays, things are a little different. The appeal of rose scent is timeless, but, given a modern treatment, it takes on a new, dynamic quality. In 2015, our Perfumery Director, Edward Bodenham, paid a visit to Marrakech, and was struck by the intense, vibrant smells of Morocco’s rose fields. The result is A Rose For…, a complex creation that transports the wearer through the rose’s numerous incarnations. The fragrance is crafted from fine Moroccan and Bulgarian rose petals that are harvested at dawn, giving a fresh, multi-faceted take on a traditional scent. And if you’re in need of further proof that floral scents are enjoying a deserved renaissance, read the thoughts of three dynamic Londoners who are just as passionate about florals as we are.
Saliha Mahmood Ahmed
Doctor, Masterchef Champion
A woman of many talents, Saliha combines her responsibilities as an NHS gastro doctor with a love of cooking, which led to her winning MasterChef in 2017. “For me, scents conjure up memories, and connect the past with the present,’ she explains. “I have memories of walking around the rose gardens of Srinagar, Kashmir, with my family as a child, and the scent of roses wafting through the air alongside jasmine and the smell of damp earth. It’s a memory that has always stayed with me. I’d wear A Rose For… on similar walks today, through the countryside on balmy summer evenings.”
Florence Kennedy
Florist and Founder of Petalon
Uninspired by her former office job, Florence transformed her passion for flowers into Petalon in 2013. Today, it’s one of London’s leading independent florists, delivering hand-tied bouquets across the capital on handmade bicycles, and by post throughout the UK. As you might imagine, she knows a thing or two about florals. “I’m quite particular,” she says. “I love that certain smells reconnect me to people and places. Different floral scents evoke lots of memories for me. For instance, the smell of fig tree blossom during summer transports me back to my childhood garden.”
Tessa Clarke
Founder of Food Sharing App OLIO
Raised on her parents’ dairy farm in North Yorkshire, Tessa knows
what it takes to produce wholesome food. Frustrated by the amount of food waste in our society, she created OLIO, an app for sharing unwanted food around local communities. “Scent is amazing because it can instantly transport you back in time, as if you’re a time traveller. I find it incredibly nostalgic for that reason – it connects you with the ‘you’ of years gone by. The scent of roses reminds me of the wild English roses that I used to smell when out riding my pony as a child, and of the roses in my mum’s garden, too.”