Putting Fragrance Into Function with AKT London Founders Ed Currie & Andy Coxon

Alice du Parcq is back! Everyone's favourite fragrance content creator returns, this time as a published author, to talk all about her brand new book 'The Philosophy of Perfume'. Alice tells me what the book is about, how she got the opportunity to write it for The British Library, and how Oscar-nominee Richard E Grant ended up providing a quote for the cover.

D'Orsay Paris is a historic fragrance house. Originally founded in 1830 by Alfred D'Orsay, it was recently revived when jewellery designer Amelie Huynh bought the house in 2015. Amélie has transformed the house into a contemporary fragrance brand that stays true to the romantic spirit of the house, whilst offering fragrances that feel entirely modern. In this episode we talk about Amélie's relationship to fragrance, how she works with perfumers to create the D'Orsay fragrances and why their personalities play such a huge part in the process.

Maya Njie is a singular talent within the fragrance industry. She is a self-taught perfumer who creates fragrances inspired by photographs from her family archive (as well as photographs she has taken herself), celebrating her dual Swedish and Gambian heritage through her work. Her work is rich with emotion, with vivid olfactory colours, shapes, and feelings. In this episode we talk about Maya's journey to becoming a perfumer and how she interweaves visual and olfactory elements. We also sniff some highlights from her collection, including the Art & Olfaction Award winning Aethi Opum.

Born in Grasse to a family who has been in the fragrance trade since the 17th century, Olivier Cresp was destined to be a perfumer. Throughout his illustrious career he has created some of the most famous fragrances on the market: the likes of D&G Light Blue, Kenzo Amour, YSL's Black Opium and most famously, he is the man behind Thierry Mugler's Angel. In this episode we talk about Olivier's first perfumery creation at 8 years old, the creation of Angel and how its secret may be simplicity. We also talk about AKRO, the addictive niche brand he founded with his daughter. It's a must listen.

Have you ever wondered who is behind all of the fragrances at one of the UK's biggest fragrance brands? Well in the case of Jo Malone London, the answer is Celine Roux. Starting out in product development for makeup at brands like Dior and Estée Lauder, Celine has found a home at the eccentrically British brand Jo Malone London, heading up their fragrance development. In this episode we talk about her career, where her ideas come from, and how she partners with some of the best perfumers in the world to create rich, evocative scents that tell quintessentially British stories.