Interview with Shelagh Foyle, nose for the London fragrance house Floris

What is your motto?

Shelagh : “My personal motto is to stay insatiably curious – it keeps creativity alive. For the Floris family it is ‘The Art of Perfumery’”

Who is the perfumer that has inspired you the most and why?

Shelagh : “From the past it must be Edmond Roudnitska – after all he did create the first ‘grown – up’ perfume given to me as a romantic gift. From the present it is Michel Almairac who showed me that simplicity is the key to character in a fragrance.”

What are the raw materials of predilection of Floris?

Shelagh : “Floris is the quintessential English perfumery with single and complex floral fragrances always in vogue. These are achieved using the best of essential oils and absolutes.”

The florals – geranium, lavender, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, iris and orange blossom

The woods – sandalwood, cedarwood and patchouli

What is the olfactive signature of Floris?

Shelagh : “The olfactive signature has evolved from one generation of the Floris family to the next. Each perfumer has adapted the fragrances of the day to reflect their own particular preference and style so keeping the fragrances relevant to the Floris audience of the time. Today, the Private Collection represents the new era initiated by the ninth generation and marks the evolution from single floral – in the quintessential English style - to perfumery for the 21st century. This is approach is illustrated by Royal Arms Diamond Edition - an adaptation of the highly acclaimed vintage Floris fragrance, ‘Royal Arms’which has been reintroduced to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II. The original recipe from the 1920s is found within the hand written formula books and was created by the Floris family in the Jermyn Street Shop.”

Can you describe the custom made approach proposed by Floris?

Shelagh : “The process for fragrance customisation is as followed. We take a favourite from the Floris collection and adds new notes, nuances or simply emphasizes the preferred aspects in response to the specific wishes of the customer. It costs 255€."