Signature Fragrances Founder, Solomon, On Launching His Dream …

by: Suzy Nightingale

Having announced the official launch of the new Signature Fragrances brand recently on Fragrantica, it was time to delve deeper into the ethos and inspiration behind this new house. It’s always fascinating to meet up with the founder of a new perfumery in person, and it was a delight to meet Solomon, a man who dreamed of having his own fragrance range but never thought it might actually become a reality. As he talked about what spurred him on to develop his dream and the research he carried out to make it so, the enthusiasm and excitement shone from him and it was easy to be caught up in that glow as he showed me some selections from their range. I began by asking Solomon to explain how he came to the world of perfumery, and what had kept him going through the years it took to finally get to launch day …

Solomon: “It all started with me and my friend, when I used to teach in Saudi Arabia for about three years. The thing about Saudis is that they are very mature in their wearing of perfumes, the fragrances they wear are not in the range of Eau de Toilette, it’s all about the oils, so we decided to bring that concept to the UK. Unfortunately, at the time, British people tended to be more covert in their choice of perfumes, we kind of like to keep our perfumes to ourselves more than Arabian cultures. We have since done a lot of market research and found that in fact there are people in this country who now want their perfumes to say more about them, they want that high concentration and fragrances that last a long time—I think in this way the market has started to be braver.

"We started to search for who we wanted to work with and found a renowned company in Spain who work with us to produce the perfumes at the moment, as they were making fragrances that really reflected a diverse interest. We knew we didn’t want to work with a company who only specialized in traditional florals or, conversely, only traditional Middle-Eastern type oils. We want to be able to tap into different clientele and people from all sorts of ethnic origins. For example, the Muslim community will tend towards more Oriental perfumes and people from Western backgrounds have tended towards florals and lighter fragrances until quite recently. It’s a generalization, but what we really wanted to do was offer something that mixed up everyone’s preconceptions and got them all to try something new, a harmony of all of these tastes. As for my background, well I’m from South London, and you know, it’s not exactly the birth place of many perfumers! I suppose it put me off for a while, because I thought, how can someone like me, from where I was born, a tall black guy who doesn’t exactly look like your typical perfume house owner … how can I break into this industry? I spoke to a lot of people who really encouraged me, and I completed several courses in perfumery to learn about the industry, and what drove me forwards was my passion for a perfume, I know a good quality fragrance when I smell it, it’s what I have always appreciated, so why should I hold myself back because of my background?

"Another reason I wanted to work in the perfumery industry is that, you know when you read a description of a perfume? It’s almost like poetry. It’s seductive to read, it’s part of the whole experience. I wanted everything around the perfume to be just as beautiful as the scent inside, so it took me ages to find a really stunning bottle to house the perfumes in. Of course, with the people who can afford to shop in Harrods and such places, they are used to having fragrances so luxuriously packaged, but we wanted to bring that luxury to people who aren’t used to it. It should be something for everyone to experience. It’s my dream to eventually have our own shops, but I’m not stupid, I know we are a small company right now and you have to work up these things. There’s no point investing lots of money in opening a shop before you have been able to introduce people to your fragrances and got them excited about what you do. I’m very aspirational, but I know it takes time. We have a good following already, on Twitter and various social networks. We’ve had really good feedback from everyone we have sent samples to, people who have purchased our perfumes and love what we are doing. I thrive on feedback because I cannot really call myself an expert in perfumery as yet, it depends entirely on how your fragrances are received, and the feedback has been that people think these are something special, people from all over the world—I can’t tell you how much that means to me! It’s one thing to have a dream but you need other people to make it real.”

"The belief at Signature Fragrances London™ is that ‘your perfume has the right to be smelt by others’. Thus, our perfumes are at an indulgent Pure Parfum strength—the highest form of perfume. This improves the length of the perfume and leads to a longer lasting scent which reveals itself gradually from dawn to dusk; perfect for today’s hectic lifestyles.

"Moving away from Eau de parfum and Eau de toilettes, Signature Fragrances London™ has quickly gained credit for rekindling the true nature of perfume and offering uncontested value by providing perfume oils that contain little or no alcohol. Each collection has been hand selected to produce a divine collection of fragrances that offer a personal connection between the perfumer and buyer, with emphasis placed firmly on the quality of ingredients rather than the quantity.

"Signature Fragrances London™ seeks to bring the true essence of perfumery back to the 21st century, by introducing a selection of unique blends sourced from around the world. We endeavor to provide fragrances that tailor itself to the personalities and cultures of our diverse community. With our bespoke and direct approach we aim to offer Signateers extraordinary fragrances that restore one’s personal identity."

Solomon: “It was so eye-opening to learn about the materials used in perfumery today. I suppose I had a preconception, like many people, that only natural ingredients were best, at first. Later I learned that some synthetics are in fact more costly than the naturals, because they have been so carefully developed and worked to perfection that they are more stable and a far better quality result in some formulas. This is something I think the public still struggle to understand.

"This is just the beginning, I am still learning all the time, of course, but I have come so far from my initial dream, which just seemed completely unobtainable at the time. I want to do so much more, we have a long way to go, but one thing about me is that I always see things through—I always stick at things, no matter how difficult they are—until I get to where I wanted to be. If I crash, I crash, but at least I will know I tried. I want to try things like perhaps having some of our fragrances on a stall in Covent Garden market. In Saudi Arabia you can go down any side street and come across stalls of perfume oils, but here you generally have to go into a specialized shop, and lot of people are still put off of doing that, you know? They feel intimidated. Of course you have people who are fragrance enthusiasts and know a lot about perfume already, so they know where these places are and feel no worry about stepping into a boutique, but we have to remember that not everyone feels that way, so I’d really like to have a stall somewhere that people can come across it by accident, just happen to be passing by and are intrigued to try something different with no pressure, or worry that they don’t fit in.”

There is an extensive range to choose from, truly something for every palate and personal taste, but my three favorites were the following selection:

Déjà vu: DELICIOUS, WILD, FRUITY, SPICY, GOURMAND

"For those who love all things gourmand, this extravagant fragrance opens with a cosy caramel scent, blended with a pleasant swirl of Red Amber and Vanilla undertones. This is undoubtedly a memorable scent."

Top: Caramel
Heart: Red Amber, Coconut
Base: Amber, Vanilla
Mood: Gourmand

This is so much more complex than a mere skim reading of the notes would imply (which is yet another lesson in not simply basing a perfume on the notes alone). An explosion of ripe pear immediately triggers the senses and tempts the mouth to begin watering. After the initial fruity blast we settle into a more cadenced rhythm with subtle spices tickling the taste buds and a long, slow, sensuous plunge into a heart of tropical flowers gently steaming in the humid air. I sort of smell like a sexy pear drop in a Hawaiian skirt, and you know what? I'm loving it, I cannot deny. Later still and I'm sure I can detect a breeze of cool mint, something herbal anyway, perhaps a touch of lemon balm too—it's like the last sip of a cocktail when the alcohol has mostly gone and you're left with the green bits and fruit, which make you feel faintly virtuous. A creamy back note rises up now with the velvety soft amber base, blooming as it warms on the skin, almost a lick of pod-flecked white chocolate about the softness. It’s utterly scrumptious and I think has to be one of the most unusual and addictive gourmands I have tried for some time. I have gone back to these three fragrances most often, and I have to say I think Déjà vu is my favorite pick.

Lurre: GOLDEN, SWEET, SUBTLE, MODERN, FRESH

"This fragrance symbolises everything sweet and edible. Lurre reveals itself as a sweet yet sophisticated scent, exuding distinct notes like strawberry and vanilla, against a backdrop of amber and golden musk accents, which compliments the fragrances’ depth and femininity."

Top: Rose, Strawberry Fruity
Heart: Vanilla, Honeysuckle, Musk
Base: Amber, Golden Musk
Mood: Sweet

I thought this might be too sweet for my tastes, but as with all the Signature Fragrances I’ve tried, it is so smoothly blended that it never becomes cloying or overpowering in a fug of sugar, but warms and develops in the skin from a freshly fruity opening that made me think of eating ripe strawberries from the top of an Ice Cream Sundae. The rose gives the fragrance an exoticism, a fragrant desert one may be served in an Indian restaurant that looks as beautiful as it tastes. The vanilla and golden musk harmonize in a foodie way, too, becoming a kind of steamed rice cloud that tantalizes the taste buds. I love the addition of honeysuckle in the heart, it carries through to the base and prevents it from being too fruity for its own good. Lurre is a perfume that is full to the brim with girlish glee and is proud of it, to boot; yet it thankfully doesn’t smell like the olfactory equivalent of a pink frothy party dress best suited for a five year old and slightly disturbing on anyone over that age. The amber and honeysuckle seem to resonate longest on my skin, an exotic journey of tastes that somehow smells of pure happiness and holidays, no matter your mood or how dreadful the weather happens to be.

Lola: SENSUAL, SALIENT, CALM, FRUITY, SWEET

"Lola is undoubtedly the crème de la crème of fragrances. This calming feminine fragrance begins with a robust fruity accord, followed by a glowing compliment of floral and woody notes adding sweetness, depth, and sensuality."

Top: African Orange Flower
Heart: Jasmine, Patchouli
Base: Cedar, Rose, White Honey
Mood: Sexy

Another intoxicating blend, far less sweet than Lola in the first stages, but just as addictive. The Orange Flower is uplifting, a lilting breeze that grows more passionate as it settles on the skin and swathes you with jasmine and roses, intrigues you with that delicious mixture of honey, dry woodiness and a soft patchouli note that grounds the florals and keeps them from being that expansive headache-inducing blend I so often shy away from on my skin but adore on others. While all the Signature Fragrances are, by their nature, strong; this should not be confused with "simple" or "overpowering"—in fact, they are multi-faceted beyond their list of notes and all of them create distinctly exotic yet familiar experiences, a time-slip memory of holidays past, the smell of suntan oil on skin, melting ice cream and freshly picked fruits still warm from the sun. No single note dominates and the transition from top to base is always seamless, just as you think you know what it will finally smell like on your skin, a flicker of movement has taken place and subtly changed again, a chameleon’s pattern transforming before your eyes though you can’t quite tell where one color stops and another begins.

Solomon: “High quality perfume should be more accessible, that’s what we are trying to do with Signature Fragrances—it shouldn’t just be a thoughtless accessory, it’s a necessity. I’m an overt person and I want people to share the smell of my perfumes. What I really want to do is bring everyone together to appreciate the stronger fragrances and realize they don’t always have to smell the same way. Although I have big ambitions, I don’t feel intimidated, because I realise that everyone, no matter how big a name they are today in perfumery, had to start out small and learn as they go.”

Signature Fragrances are available from their website: signaturefragrances.co.uk