Jo Malone London is the quintessential British fragrance brand, with a perfume portfolio inspired by the country’s most iconic scents and locations.
From hero sku English Pear & Freesia to recently released Sea Salt & Bergamot Cologne, which is inspired by the English coast, the brand has consistently raised the fragrance innovation bar.
But behind this powerhouse perfume line-up sits French native Céline Roux-Alezais, VP Global Fragrance Development at Jo Malone London, who began her career not in fragrance, but in cosmetics.
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“I did not start in the traditional perfumery world, and was in make-up product development for many years, with Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) in New York, US, and with Dior in Paris, France,” says Roux-Alezais.
Yet, Roux-Alezais answered the perfumery call in March 2009, joining the ELC-owned British fragrance brand to reinforce Jo Malone London’s presence in the UK.
This was fortuitously timed with Roux-Alezais also needing to move to London, and she ended up working with Christine Nagel, the perfumer behind most of Jo Malone London’s fragrances at the time – including Wood Sage & Sea Salt, just one of 47 perfumes she created for the brand.
Roux-Alezais had to adapt to the world of perfumery quickly, but this also gave her a unique perspective on how to create scents.
She explains: “I never saw constraints or boundaries as I did not have a preconception of what was actually feasible or not.
“So, I never thought a fragrance for women should be this [or] a fragrance for men should be like that, and [opted to experiment].”
With this unabashed confidence, Roux-Alezais has defined Jo Malone London’s fragrance wardrobe for more than 17 years.
Discover her story in Cosmetics Business’ new ‘Meet the Maestro’ series.
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