After an impressive career working with some of the world’s finest fragrance and beauty houses, Rebecca Harrison decided that the time was right to launch her own perfume company, Vines House Parfum. Having split her time between Dorset and the southwest of France, the collection drew on the parallels between the wine and fragrance industries, and proved an instant hit with customers that were looking for perfumes with a story. So, as they celebrate their second birthday, I thought it was time to learn a little more about Rebecca during “Stephan’s Six”.
All of the scents from my childhood are based around the sea and the countryside, which is also where I feel most at peace. My grandfather embodied these aromas, and was a huge part of my life. A strong calm man who loved nothing more than rambling with his grandchildren down country lanes, picking blackberries and lifting us into the high branches of oak trees. I still have his jacket which every so often I wrap myself up in, breathing in the combination of tweed, horse, leather, earth and bracken with an almost sweet and salty whisper.
Growing up in Cornwall shopping was quite limited, and so my mum stuck to what was available from the county department stores that we visited. She had ‘day’ perfumes, that included Anais Anais by Cacharel, Lancôme’s Trésor, and Cerruti 1881, and I was allowed to raid her wardrobe and wear those. Mum did also have a couple of perfumes which were reserved for special occasions. The standout favourite, now discontinued, was Adagio from Fiona Sands, followed by Guerlain’s Shalimar and the classic Chanel No.5. I also remember that my grandmother had a glamorous dressing table with a blue jewelled Esteé Lauder powder puff that captured my interest as a child. I would slip into her bedroom and breathe in its aroma when the house was quiet.
What was the perfume of your twenties?
In my twenties I didn’t have much variety with perfume, but my father would always buy me Chanel (mostly via duty free). I wore Allure for years, Coco Mademoiselle, and even Chanel No.5. I would play around with the fashion house brands but was always on the lookout for something different, and would even mash up my own herb and flower concoctions with limited success. I never succumbed to the scented deodorants like Impulse, but was obsessed with skincare products and their fragrances, and grew a collection to rival most beauty junkies.
Applying perfume can be a last minute act, sometimes ill thought out, and these are the moments when it can go spectacularly wrong. If a date or potential employee has a bad scent then it's hard to move past that. I know from experience that in relationships certain fragrances can remind you of when it went wrong, almost to the moment. That's the very reason I'm not a fan of DKNY Be Delicious and latterly Pomegranate Noir by Jo Malone London, because both had originally been gifts. Fragrance says so much about your personality, before you even speak. It’s the first and last impression.
You can only choose one perfume?
For me this question is so hard because season to season, moment to moment, my favourites will change. I also love exploring new fragrances, and sometimes the unexpected will prove a firm favourite. That said, I always feel happy wearing the Signature Story perfume that I created indulgently for myself. I wasn’t planning on releasing it, because it was my personal scent, but I was always being complimented on it during the school run or at events. I’m glad I did release it though because it’s proved so popular with both men and women.
I’m going to suggest Voyage Story, one of the Vines House Parfum collection. If I’m honest, it wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I started working on it, and it actually took the most attempts to finish out of all seven fragrances. It’s not as aquatic as I had intended, but I fell so much in love with the surprise twist in the 16th attempt that I chose to go with it in favour of my original idea. I would describe Voyage Story as a unisex fragrance with an understated aquatic quality. Definitely an independent fragrance, you can pack it in your bag and it will see you through any occasion.
For more information about Rebecca Harrison, and to discover the full Vines House Parfum collection, you can visit the website at vhparfum.com.
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