A British icon in the world of olfactory.
Roja Dove can be described as a beacon of light in a dark room. He was dressed in a bright blue, bespoke Stephen Williams tailored jacket, adorned with ornate sparkly jewellery and, not to mention, fabulous gem encrusted Christian Louboutin shoes. He said: “I love colour. A grey day is depressing, so I don’t understand why people think grey clothes look good.” Flamboyant in many ways, he is also refined, sophisticated, creative and passionate. When it comes to scents, he dramatically redefines luxury and elegance in perfumery for the modern age. He is the world’s most innovative fragrance creative and the industry’s most respected perfumer. His astounding experience and charisma are embodied in every one of his creations.
He was born in London and moved to the south coast of England soon after; now he lives in between Brighton and London. Roja was bestowed a great title for an Englishman; he was appointment ambassador for the Great Britain campaign, which showcases the best of what the UK has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK. In his recent trip to the Middle East a&e caught up with him.
Tell us about your journey into the world of perfumery.
I fell involve with scent when I was a child. I didn’t understand there were such things as perfumers. I originally thought I’d work in the world of medicine. I had parents that made me believe I should always follow my heart, so I was very lucky. I trained with Guerlain and I worked with them for 20 years. I left in 2001 to start my own company that year. Eventually, I launched Roja Parfum in 2011. It is the most successful launch and most successful brand in Harrods’ history, which I am very proud of.
Do you remember your first distinctive scent?
I was 14 years old at the time and it was Eau de Balenciaga Lavande. I thought it was the chicest scent ever.
What inspires you to make a fragrance?
Life experience; it could be travel, hearing about something, a meeting with someone or something I’ve read. I feel fortunate because my life is the antithesis of routine; everyday is very different. I encounter a lot of things and I’m an observant person. I notice strange things that can give me an idea. For instance, I have a collection of scents called Roja Dove Parfum De La Nuit. The idea came because I rarely asleep before 2:00 a.m.. One night, I started thinking about people I know and how they transformed at night. We are all different at night, when darkness comes we behave in ways we never behave. The night is about seduction and fantasy. I made three scents trying to imagine the three people you may bump into when you go out at night; or the three people you may want to become when you go out at night.
Tell us about the scent you have just launched at the British Embassy here in Dubai.
As you know, I was made an ambassador for the Great Britain campaign for my creative work and they asked if I can make the scent of Great Britain. I thought, how do you do that? I felt Great Britain is a country full of tradition, a race that is self-assured and proud, but the on the other side, we are self-deprecating; we always put ourselves down, but when someone puts us down that is when our back is up. I wanted to make a scent that highlighted all these things. The fragrance I made is called Roja Parfums Great Britain. It has a lovely softness to it and it is full of character. When it is first sprayed it will shock you. A dominant theme of leather takes centre stage in this creation, enhanced by labdanum and castoreum. The heart of rose and jasmine, warmed by a blend of cedar makes it warm, dry and sweet. The dry down finishes with bergamot, lemon and sage.
How important is tuition with your work?
I’ve always been intuitive. I think if you don’t follow how you feel be prepared to see how things can go very wrong. You can call intuition a million names: gut, instinct, feeling, but I think it is there to protect you and direct you. Certainly for my work, I am a creative person and you cannot be rational with something that is creative. I create things that are very emotional, so emotion is key for making my products. I have to feel something then have the technical knowledge for it to become a reality.
What is your all-time favourite fragrance?
The scent I made for myself – Roja Parfums. I was born on September 25. We launched this on that date and we made 25 bottles for Britain and 25 bottles for the rest of the world. It has orange, mandarin and bergamot. I love the pure gold in it too. I say to people: “Please don’t take me seriously, because I don’t.” It’s funny because people are impressed the fragrance has pure gold, but what they don’t know is the jasmine costs twice the price of the gold, the orris costs three and a half times more and the ambergris costs seven times more, but yes that is pure gold!
What do you think makes your brand so successful?
The fact that I don’t look to see what other people are making – I just make my own version of what I want. I’m very single-minded. That is a good and bad thing, but as a creative person you have to have your own opinion. When I make something I believe it is the best it can be; I never compromise. Scent is subjective and I’m very proud of what I make. I don’t listen to what everyone says and I have my own opinion and creative interpretation.
Your greatest masterpiece?
Diaghilev! If people remember me for one perfume I hope they remember me for this. It’s a baroque and opulent fragrance. If you imagine going to a lavish ball, you’d wear this.
What is the fragrance industry like for men at the moment?
What has happened in the last few years is that people are looking for individuality. I think the market is so oversaturated. Men are looking for something individual; something that expresses them. Men change fragrance much less than women. Once we find something we tend to stick with it. Men are confident to try and find a scent. There are a few online sites dedicated for men, such as goodsmelled.com which is huge in US. Men are comfortable talking about fragrance. Most department stores are female orientated, but it’s been interesting for people to discuss fragrance and share ideas online.
How important is the Middle East for your brand?
Huge! It’s so ingrained in the culture here. People in the Middle East have the most sophisticated olfactive palette compared to anywhere in the world. They can spot a great fragrance better than anyone else. We sell the most complex and sophisticated fragrances and this is the best market for them.
Are your female fragrances more popular (with sales) than male fragrances?
No, it’s fifty-fifty, which is unusual for most brands. I think I make men smell fabulous and that is why our male scents are doing so well. They have a lot of character, but they are not overwhelming. There is a lot of individuality in my collections.
What is next in 2017?
You have to wait until autumn 2017 to find out, but the next big scent I launch is for men.
Do you have a motto?
‘David really can beat Goliath,’ and never forget it. My industry is full of Goliath’s and yet my brand is the most successful brand in Harrods’ history. It’s also the number one selling brand in the biggest mall in the world (at Paris Gallery). If you believe in something enough, and you really put everything you’ve got into it, you can do literally anything you wish.
Roja Parfums is exclusively available at Paris Gallery stores in the UAE.
