Eleanor Jane
Profile: I was born and spent the earliest parts of my childhood in the south of England, in the lovely coastal town of Bournemouth. With its beautiful gardens and Victorian Arcades it was certainly a wonderful place and some of my earliest memories are of the beaches and piers that ran the coast. I also recall travelling, a lot. My mum was a very free spirit and loved to take off for exotic European destinations at any whim. Weekend in Provence? Pack a bag! History lesson in West Berlin? Let’s go!
The trips were fantastic fun for a little girl but they also had a tremendous influence on me. They taught me to appreciate culture, seek out new experiences and most importantly, the ability to enjoy the moment. They also prepped me for big changes that were about to take place in my life. At the age of 5 my little brother was born and we all moved to the big city, London. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying for me but because I had become accustomed to new endeavours the transition was much less impactful than it might have been.
It was in my new hometown where I began to fall in with my posse. There were about 6 of us and we were the closest of friends, most of whom I’m still close to all these years and miles later. We were of the age where we wanted to learn more about all of the latest cultural trends that were happening around us. We didn’t discern, we loved to chat for hours on the cinema, literature, the art scene, music, fashion and one of our favorites, fragrance.
As young girls growing up in London we tried to keep up on all the latest fragrance trends while skulking about Selfridges and Harvey Nicks, dousing each other in Mary Quant or Cacharel or YSL or Chanel. We loved staying on top of what was new while also experiencing the classics and would return to the perfume counters whenever we could. Even though these we’re very formative times for me and my appreciation of scent my mum would later tell me of even earlier experimentations with perfume.
Young Eleanor with her best friend Sarah
Although I was a very young child it seems that while visiting my grandmother in Bournemouth I would often pick the petals off her rose bushes and create my own tinctures and rose waters. Whether they were any good or not, I have no recollection, but I was clearly fascinated with the prospect of producing scent from an early age.
Many years later I had become a certified health instructor working with cancer survivors, cardiac rehab patients and post rehabilitation patients. I also specialized in pre and post natal and peri-menopausal consultation. While researching lifestyle modifications for some of my clients I learned of the potential irritants that many fragrances, cosmetics and body care products pose to healthy people, let alone those with compromised constitutions. I had worked with essential oils for many years, both for their aromatherapeutic benefits as well as mixing blends for my own personal tinctures and moisturizers. I turned my experience with these botanicals and resins into developing natural perfumes after deciding that I also wanted to wear fragrance that contained less synthetic ingredients than what was generally available at the department store. I began studying under natural perfumers, blending more complex formulas and spent untold hours experimenting. I really had no intention of turning my new passion into a business but after very positive reviews from friends and family and their encouragement to do so I endeavored to create a perfume brand.
It’s certainly been a labor of love though and can be overwhelming at times. There’s so much that goes into starting up any kind of business and there have been stretches where I’ve had to focus so much on marketing, promotion, administration, etc. that I don’t have the bandwidth to concentrate on the actual creative process which I so adore. A startup can also be incredibly taxing on one’s family life but fortunately I’ve been able to strike a balance even if it means putting my husband and son to work!
On American Perfumery: One of the aspects of America that struck me when I first arrived is the unbound opportunity and entrepreneurial spirit that permeates the country’s fabric. It seemed that no matter what future I wanted to create for myself the options were available to me in abundance. I believe these conditions have been and will continue to be a great boon to the perfume industry in this country, especially in fostering smaller and niche brands. As well for the independent perfumer.
The larger, European houses have all the tradition, heritage and market success that centuries of perfecting a craft brings and rightfully so. But I am truly amazed by the breadth of fresh ideas and new takes on traditionals that are being produced here and am very excited about the directions these artisans are moving the category.
On American Art: I only have a few loves in my life. My family, my craft, my city. I have lived in New York for many, many years and it is now a part of who I am. Max Weber was a Russian immigrant who arrived in this city and used it as a source of artistic inspiration and as a subject for many of his works. He was instrumental in introducing Fauvism and Cubism to America and it was his ability to mix the lessons of European modernism with the urbanism of New York that is regarded as a significant contribution to 20th century art.
–Eleanor Jane, Perfumer and Founder of Tallulah Jane Perfumery
For our draw, Eleanor is offering a Reader's choice of one of her seven perfumes Tallulah,Gotham, 333, Misae, Halona, Leotie, or Rayan. To be eligible: please leave a comment that includes a fascinating fact you learned about Eleanor AND YOUR CHOICE of perfume. Draw ends April 23rd, 2012
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–Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
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