SCENT Voyage

Jo Malone CBE has seen some highs and lows in her life, but what flourished from it is nothing less than inspiring. Leandri de Kock sat down with the one and only, talking about everything that has led to Jo Loves, and what Jo, herself, loves

- Leandri de Kock

She may be one of the most iconic perfumers and entrepreneurs in the world, but Jo Malone’s presence is warm and inviting. Her fragrances have the ability to transport you to places you have never been before. For Jo, it’s all about storytelling and bringing memories to life, because for her, fragrance is her language.

ON CHILDHOOD

Jo comes from a creative family, her father is an artist and magician, her mother a beautician, creating creams and face masks in Madame Lubatti’s laboratory. Jo’s first fragrance memory is of as standing in the kitchen, making face creams with her mom, the air heavy with geranium, camphor and juniper. She also recalls her time with Madame Lubatti as an unforgettable scent experience. ‘When I was seven years old, standing in the laboratory with Madame Lubatti, she made me smell all these kinds of fragrances. I can remember that clearly. I have dyslexia, so my sense of smell is my language – it’s like words for me. I can tell my story of my life just through the power of scent.’

She whips out a red bottle she simply calls ‘Jo’ and sprays it lavishly over my arms, explaining that you can only create a personal fragrance once in your life. ‘This one’s for me. This tells the story of me as a little kid all the way to where I am now. I created this fragrance and no one else had it, only I was wearing it but everyone who smelled it fell in love, and so eventually I had to make it available.’