Christie talks sustainability, style and why curating a new scent makes her feel selfish
When she was 14, Christie worked as a Sunday girl at a small fashion boutique in Devon. Her boss, a woman Christie still remembers as “beautifully glamorous”, used to wear the perfume Escentric Molecules to work everyday. She told Christie that the perfume would smell different on everyone because it was special and reacted with your personal pheromones. Enamoured by the idea, Christie went home and began researching different fragrances and scents, slowly feeding an obsession that would become an occupation.
While studying for BA in Fashion Marketing at London College of Fashion, Christie worked at a candle brand, where she learnt traditional candle making. “I picked it up quickly,” she says, “when I wasn’t studying I would hand pour candles and run candle making courses.” It was at LCF where Christie met her business partner, Frankie, a rational, level-headed craftsman who perfectly complements Christie’s “slightly sporadic” nature. She introduced Frankie to candle making, thinking it could become a shared hobby. They did it every Sunday: “Now Sundays are our busiest production days.”
Inspired by the opulence of luxury names like Hôtel Costes, Raymond Rose is sleek and sophisticated without compromising on sustainability. “It was never an option to dilute the bold branding in order to accommodate sustainability,” Christie tells me, “we wanted to have both and ran with it!” Her first job in candle making led Christie to discover how wasteful the industry is. In particular, she noted that customers would throw away their empty glass jars once the candle was finished. “A gap in the market became obvious to me,” says Christie, “This inspired the candle bar, the idea of recycling and adding life into a once loved vessel and turning it into a unique candle to match your interior brings so much joy.” Now, Raymond Rose will hand pour a luxury candle into any non-flammable container they receive, and creativity is encouraged.
When in need of inspiration, Christie often turns to her own personal experiences or those closest to her. “I guess we are quite selfish when it comes to curating ” she tells me, “We have a long list of our favourite scents and places. We use this list to curate a beautiful fragrance that sparks a sense of nostalgia.”
Christie’s advice to anyone at university looking to start a business is to use the help that’s around you. “If you have the chance to create a business plan during University I would one hundred percent recommend doing it.” She says, “There was always great support from mentors and peers at uni which helped our confidence.”
Finally, what scents best describe their own personalities? “I would say citrus,” says Frankie, “citrus fragrances are fun and energetic, I like to think I have a fun approach to life.”
“Rich Floral floral scents for sure.” Christie tells me, “Floral fragrances ooze femininity. We are actually finalising a floral fragrance at the moment but I am tempted to keep it for my personal collection, it is beautiful!”