Miller Harris

Success smells sweet for perfumer Lyn Harris...

Lyn, can you tell us a little about how you became interested in scent?
Everyone always asks me about it, but I’m sure that I always answer it quite differently! It’s a childhood passion that’s grown into something quite enormous. It goes back to my grandparents’ garden. There was this idyllic high walled garden and my grandmother had an amazing flower garden too. They were completely self- sufficient, and even made their own jam and bread. When we would go and stay with them the smells from the bread and jam were simply enchanting. There is not a day goes by that I don’t feel that energy. The thing about smell is that it’s very memorable and it can trigger the most intriguing memories. I give thanks to my grandparents for that.
How did you finance the company in the early days?
Initially I set up my own laboratory and because I was the first independent perfumer in this country a lot of people were intrigued by me, and by my French training. I actually started to work in the industry quite quickly and I got some interesting projects from the likes of The Body Shop and Liberty Department store. Then I was headhunted by an American brand and became their perfumer – eventually they were bought by LVMH so once I had built up a portfolio and some money I went to the bank in 1999. The bank was very impressed and in 2000 Miller Harris was born.

Samantha Cameron famously bought Michelle Obama a gift from Miller Harris. Tell us a little more about that – it must have had an enormous impact on sales... Yes, that was in 2010 right after David Cameron became Prime Minister. I knew nothing about it until I saw it in the press. Samantha did it so nicely – her assistant bought the gift and paid for it. It was fantastic for us because it really saw our sales shoot up!
You have trained extensively for your career – tell us about all the hard work that you put into “training” your nose...
I went to France for my training. To cut a long story short, I actually didn’t do very well at school and I eventually took myself off to Paris to fragrance school. Before that – after being kicked out of school – I had started working in a fine fragrance shop in Yorkshire (where I’m from) and while working there I discovered fine fragrance for the first time and I fell in love with it. I was introduced to the likes of Guerlain and Chanel and I was enchanted so I wanted to know more; I followed my nose and after doing some research I found the school in Paris, so off I went for 2.5 years. Training to be a perfumer is something that not a lot of people get through, but I knew I had something more than just the ability to smell – I had the ability to create. When I left fragrance school, I found a perfumer in Grasse – I showed them my work, and they liked my quirkiness and they agreed to train me up. I was so fortunate to train under an amazing master; he taught me all of the old stories of Grasse and the fields of beautiful flowers that started the region’s affinity with perfumery. When I came back to the UK, I started my own perfumery.
Did you always know that you wanted to work for yourself?
My parents instilled in me the ethos of really doing what you believe in, so when I wanted to go to France to fragrance school, they were incredibly supportive because it was something that I was passionate about. I think I really had a yearning for new things... coming from a small town, I think it does push your creativity. My dad actually had his own business, and I watched him work to become a very successful businessman and I think I was deeply inspired by that as a child. He pushed boundaries, and it showed me that anything was possible if you worked hard enough for it.
How do you go about creating a new scent?
Where do you get your inspiration? It just comes to me! It’s something inherent in me and it’s what makes me a perfumer. That’s what I nurtured in Paris all those years ago. I’m very sensitive to smell, and the fragrance around me. I never switch off, and even when I’m dreaming I smell! If I’m away and there’s a pine forest then that could inspire me to create some amazing fragrances. I’m inspired by life. Every day I get a new idea; the seasons in the UK are amazing for inspiring me. I love autumn – that point just as the clocks are about to change; I know it’s mad, but I love that crisp darkness and I’m inspired by that transition.
Miller Harris doesn’t just sell scent – the company also sells candles and even tea and olive oil. What made you decide to diversify? I’ve always sold candles, but the olive oil came about 3 years ago after I worked with the most beautiful olive oil house and then the wallpaper came about last year. These are rich delicacies of the world, and I love them in their own right. My philosophy with Miller Harris is to bring these delicacies and add my take onto them. The tea stems from my Yorkshire roots – I just love tea! The Miller Harris teas are so subtle. People are often surprised at how subtle. Because these are delicacies with so much beauty in their own right I work with them to complement them, not to overtake them.
What is the key to a successful business? It’s all about keeping your core healthy and standing by your instincts and staying true to what your core values are for the brand.
You created a scent (L’Air de Rien) for Jane Birkin. How do you go about creating a personalised scent? When I created for Jane, it was such an amazing experience! She’s such an icon. She’s an artist, so she has a natural affinity with things, and she was so interested in each component – every single material in the formula she had to sign off. It took me three years! I made the fragrance and then we decided to launch it as a product as part of the main line. Normally, a bespoke scent takes about 6 months.
Do you have to be careful about not wearing scent and avoiding pungent foods etc. when you are in the process of creating a new fragrance?
That was one of the biggest things when I worked in Grasse – it drove me insane. I’d go to a restaurant and my hair would smell of smoke from the kitchen, or I’d have too much garlic and I couldn’t work. I’d have to go home and wash my hair, and even the other perfumers thought I was mad! But in my defence, I have heard a few fellow perfumers say that in the middle of a project they have to stay away from things like garlic.
Can anyone commission a bespoke fragrance?
Yes, but it’s £8,000 so that is a little limiting! But it really is a very popular service notwithstanding the price point.
How did you get started with bespoke?
When I first came back to London, bespoke was actually a brilliant avenue for me to pursue. Not only did it help me financially, but it was also a fantastic outlet for exploring my creativity. I started the bespoke service and one of my first clients (who was a journalist) wrote about it, and after that I was completely inundated with clients working in the City wanting to buy it for gifts. This was in the early 90s and no- one else was doing bespoke at the time. For me, it made me a better perfumer.
Creating for individuals was great; it taught me how to be patient, and to understand people’s needs as well as enabling me to create much better and more individual fragrances. There’s nothing like a bespoke client to help you with the next trends – they are people who are passionate about scent. They have their own style, and they can really help show you the next trends.
Is it true that scents smell different depending on the individual wearing them because they work with your skin?
We are animals at the end of the day, so smell is very important. We choose our partners based partially on their smell. When you’re aware of it, it’s very interesting. But it will do your head in! The thing about perfumery is that natural fragrances like mine smell different on everybody and that means they work with your own smell. In the late 70s the big perfume houses used chemicals, which meant that they smelled the same on everyone.
True fine fragrance should be natural because they work with your natural skin smell – or they don’t – and that’s why you need to know what fragrance suits you.
Do you sell more candles or fragrance?
I actually started with candles and there really is an art to making a fragrance for a candle. I still sell more fragrance than candles but in the last 2 years candles have taken off. Because of the recession our homes are becoming more precious because we are staying in these days. Our homes have become a sanctuary for us. We’re holding dinner parties instead of going out.
Where would you like to see the Miller Harris brand in the next five years?
Like any artist, I keep evolving. I still like my original work but it’s so different from what I am creating today! I want to bring beautiful smells into people’s lives, but not just with the fragrance that they wear (my core) but just more in terms of people’s life too. I want to show people how a subtle scent using very refined ingredients can be more beautiful than something too heavily scented. It’s about really feeling the provenance of the ingredients that you are using.
Do you have any advice for someone starting their own business?
I can’t stress enough how hard you have to work. That isn’t a myth. If you want to go on holiday all the time then forget it! Patience, hard work, and listening to others but more importantly, listening to yourself. Listen to your instincts. Don’t be scared of making decisions. If you are a person with a lot of self-doubt then you need to think long and hard about working for yourself.