Memoize London Luxuria Review, Interview with Holly Hutchinson + A Different Fruity-Floral Draw

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020

Memoize London Luxuria (Photo: Despina Veneti)©

It was almost a year ago when I first tried out the inaugural collection of Memoize London, and since then the young British Fragrance House has grown and blossomed most impressively. Starting with the basic concept of associating each scent with a memory and the emotional reaction to it, Memoize’s first collection – “The Dark Range” – was further linked to the “Seven Deadly Sins”, comprising seven fragrances (Luxuria, Era, Superbia, Gula, Invidia, Tristitia, Avaritia), plus one limited edition (Black Avaritia). This was a collection of deep, potent, long-lasting scents, cleverly embracing current popular perfume trends (fruity-floral, rose-oud, rich-woody etc.), upgrading them by the use of quality materials, oil concentrations between 20-30% (all Memoize scents are extraits de parfum), and creative touches befitting a true niche brand. Last year “The Light Range” followed, inspired by the “Seven Heavenly Virtues” and consisting of seven fragrances (Industria, Humilitas, Patientia, Humanitas, Caritas, Temperantia, Castitas), with the addition of one limited edition (White Castitas). This collection is overall lighter in texture and density, utilizing a plethora of citrusy, fruity and floral notes; compared to “The Dark Range”, it’s perhaps more suitable for daytime wear, but no less remarkable in terms of performance. Finally, the Memoize London offerings include two fragrances under the “Exclusives” label, Rose Luxuria (a fragrant “sibling” to Luxuria), and Imperia (a collaboration with fitness/lifestyle vlogger, Rowan Row).

Memoize London founder/creative director Holly Hutchinson (Photo courtesy of Memoize London)©

For my introductory review of Memoize London, I was indecisive between my two personal favorites (both belonging to “The Dark Range”), the unusual aromatic/oriental Gula (with its striking combination of sweet orange, galbanum, lavender and vanilla), and the delightful, opulent fruity/floral Luxuria; I chose the latter as more appropriate for the season. Before focusing on the scent’s review, I feel that my discussion with Holly Hutchinson – the brand’s founder, owner and creative director – would be the ideal introduction to Memoize London, as well as to Luxuria. Holly offered her valuable insights from the point of a view of a young, enthusiastic and hard-working creative director and entrepreneur, who managed to build and establish her own fragrance brand in barely four years:

Kate Moss at the Ritz, photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue©, 2012.

Hello Holly, thanks for taking the time for this Q&A. How did you enter the world of perfumery, and how long did it take to establish your own brand?

Holly Hutchinson: Hello Despina, it’s my pleasure being featured at Çafleurebon! It all started with a job in a small, new niche London-based company in 2011. Considering my life-long passion for fragrance, this was a dream come true! I started part-time in marketing and events, hosting scent masterclasses, moving on to developing bespoke fragrances. Working from the ground up made me humble; it gave me the opportunity to discover all facets of fragrance-making, while teaching me the importance of maintaining superb relationships with suppliers and retailers. After a year, I found my calling in production and manufacturing. My greatest lesson learned there was that every aspect of the business is vital for achieving top quality products and services: from composing and designing a scent, to training a team, the retail staff, the management of logistics. I finally took the leap and founded my own brand in 2016. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful team of which I’m proud; we’re like a little family, with so much positivity, passion and drive! During the difficult times we’ve all be experiencing lately, we’re more than ever looking forward to growing, and introducing many more fabulous people to Memoize London.

Vogue Bijoux cover, photographed by Thomas Lagrange for Vogue Paris©

What would you say was the greatest unexpected lesson you learned after starting your own company?

That if you believe in yourself, your concept and your brand, others will too! Starting one’s own company can make one feel incredibly vulnerable; but staying positive, focused, and maintaining one’s self-confidence truly go a long way. I never thought that I would be stocked in over sixty doors internationally just one year after creating Memoize, or that my fragrances would be occupying their own place in the iconic Selfridges store on Oxford Street within six months of launching my brand – to me, that’s no small feat.

Andrea Holterhoff with bellboys at the Hotel Meurice, photographed by Norman Parkinson©, 1979.

Tell me about your creative direction process – how precise is it, and what means of expression do you use to make your vision clear to the perfumers you work with? Do you specify the notes you want to be used, or do you take a more free approach, simply communicating an emotion or style?

Holly Hutchinson: I tend to do a bit of both. Sometimes a combination of notes might seem surprising at first, but I never rule out any scent options without first sniffing, and wearing them on skin. That said, we always begin with the product’s meaning, the story and the desired mood we wish to evoke. Some notes seem obvious, some notes are unusual… but this excites me even more. We always start with a visual moodboard of notes and memories, and often tap into our own memory log of what a scent means to, or reminds us of. We also keep an eye on fragrance trends internationally – but with the main intention of taking each trend to another level, and offering something different than the other brands.

Framboise Art Déco by Patrick Rougereau©

Let’s talk a little about Memoize London Luxuria, the fragrance I singled out for my introductory review of the brand. I understand that it’s also your personal favorite, and that you wore it on your wedding day.

Holly Hutchinson: Luxuria has been truly special for me. I was aiming for a fragrance that would be suitable to wear both day and night, and all year round. I wanted to transport myself back to my wedding day each time I wore it, and not let it be defined by a season, trends, or time of day. Concerning my creative process, I selected notes that to me were suitable for both men and women. Offering creations that are free of gender associations is important to our brand. Everybody should be free to express themselves based entirely on their own choices, and not on ones pre-made by others. Each of my wedding guests was gifted with a personally engraved bottle of Luxuria; they all got a little piece of my scent story, and every time I smell the fragrance on them, I get transported back to that blissful day.

Finally, which perfumer should I credit for composing Luxuria? Is there any particular reason that no “nose” is credited for it?

Holly Hutchinson: Memoize London Luxuria was developed with a small team of British perfumers under my own direction, and with a clear scent vision in my mind. After having worked closely with eight perfumers in total, it’s hard to credit each and every master craftsman for each modification we made; we decided not to declare any name at all, since we felt that we all created this divine scent collaboratively.

Lisa Ratliffe in Valentino haute-couture 1972-73, photographed by Tim Walker for Valentino’s Red Book, Rizzoli, 2000©

Memoize London Luxuria opens with a blast of delicious raspberry and blackcurrant, assuming not so much the juicy, tart/sweet character of the actual fresh fruits, but a decidedly sweeter, more intensely gourmand one: my mind travelled to gastronomic memories of mouth-watering berry jam, red/pink crème bavaroise and framboise macarons filled with cassis jelly. The florals kick in within the very first minutes, and most wisely so; the banana undertones of ylang-ylang serve as a link between the fragrance’s fruitiness and floralcy, the gentle muguet accord provides a balancing hint of greenness, and the tuberose… is being a tuberose: heady, and envelopingly sensual. This fairy-tale bouquet feels like it’s infused with vanilla and sprinkled with powdered sugar, surrounded by a musky cloud that’s as airy as perfectly baked meringues. Finally, the emerging – rich and lush – base of vanillic woods, dulcet-toned amber and fragrant suede leather adds the tactile sensation of being wrapped in a precious fabric.

With its 25% concentration of oils, Memoize London Luxuria is not only long-lasting, but also far-reaching. I’m not one to use catch-phrases like “compliment-getter” when reviewing fragrances, but based on my own wearing experience (during social-distancing, too), be ready to receive several. It’s by now evident that gourmand-leaning fruity/florals are appealing to a great number of people; Luxuria’s straightforward charm, impressive performance and addictive character may captivate even those who find this particular fragrance genre somewhat over-saturated. I personally surrendered to the scent’s unpretentious, unabashed exuberance, and its uplifting, comforting energy, without a fight. Underneath the sensuousness there is a carefree, warm-hearted quality in Memoize London Luxuria; it made me feel like a kid in a candy store, and I was happy to indulge.

Notes: Cassis, Raspberry; Ylang-Ylang, Tuberose, Muguet; Vanilla, Musk, Suede Leather, Amber.

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank Memoize London for my bottle of Luxuria. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Holly Hutchinson and Memoize London, we have a draw for EITHER a 100ml bottle of Memoize London Luxuria (value: £177) for one registered reader in the UK or EU, OR two Memoize London discovery sets (valued at £57 each) of both The Dark and the The Light Range for one registered reader in the USA, UK or EU. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, leave us a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Despina’s review and interview with Holly, and where you live. Please include in your comment which of the two offered prizes you’d like. You can see the entire range here. Draw closes 7/23/2020

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume