Rob Blandford is a successful blogger, vlogger and fragrance writer who originally hails from Hereford. A relocation to Australia may have changed the temperature but did nothing to cool his love of scent. A regular contributor to online forums, as well as his own website, I thought it was about time to find out some of his own scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
Today marks the beginning of National Fragrance Week, a celebration and promotion of the perfume industry. Over the next seven days you will see companies vying for your attention with events and special offers so, to ease you in gently, I thought that I would take a look back at six of my favourite “Stephan’s Six” interviews from the past two years. I advise you to hold on tight as we revisit Jo Fairley, Lawrence Roullier-White, Liz Moores, Michael Angove, Monsieur Guerlain and Odette Toilette to discover their scented secrets.
The words “fragrance historian” are used very freely in today’s perfume industry, but one man who truly does deserve that title is James Craven. Based at Les Senteurs in London, his knowledge is extraordinary and his stories are always entertaining. So, after spending his life talking about other people’s fragrances, what would he reveal about his own memories during “Stephan’s Six”?
ISIPCA is a school based in Versailles that teaches the formulation of perfumes, cosmetics and flavours. Now, many perfumers have passed through its doors but one of the newest is Daniel Pescio. His background in cinematography has definitely influenced his style, with bold choices littering his creations, and when I met up with him in Paris I took the opportunity to find out more about this new perfumer during “Stephan’s Six”.
When Jo left school at sixteen with six ‘O’ levels she knuckled down, worked hard, and became the youngest-ever UK magazine editor when she joined Look Now at twenty-three. Alongside that she had always had a love of fragrance, and so it seemed inevitable that Jo would go on to co-found The Perfume Society with Lorna McKay. After winning a Jasmine Award for her fragrant writing, I thought it was time that we turned the tables and discovered her scented secrets during “Stephan’s Six”.
After leaving Britain at the age of four Ruth Mastenbroek’s fascination for perfumery began to show itself. This led to a career creating fragrances for many famous companies, before she took the decision to release her own range of perfumes. Taking a clear influence from classic styles, but with a modern interpretation, what would she reveal of her own perfume history during “Stephan’s Six”?
