“The idea for my new business came about by chance. On Easter 2005, Peter and I went to France to ski, but lack of snow meant we had to change our plans and go to Florence instead. We found a hotel and, as soon as I walked into the foyer, I was struck by a lovely subtle, fresh fragrance. The hotel owners told me it was the work of a Dr. Vranjes, a perfumer who has a workshop in Florence. I was intrigued and decided to visit him.
Dr Vranjes was passionate about his work and told me the recipes for the fragrances had been passed down from his grandfather. When I returned to London with four bottles of the scents, my friends? reactions confirmed that I?d found something special.
I?d worked as a conference and events organiser for about 15 years, but gave up work in November 2004 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I recovered quickly, but the whole experience made me realise that I didn?t want to return to a stressful job. Finding Dr Vranjes? fragrances really inspired me and I felt confident there would be a demand for them in the UK.
I had his contact details, so I rang and spoke to his assistant, Frederica, about the possibility of distributing his fragrances here in the UK. Frederica was very enthusiastic and, it turned out, so was Dr Vranjes. I put my ideas on paper in an informal business plan and went back to Florence to visit him in June. We agreed that I?d buy ?17,000 worth of stock, which I was able to acquire through my savings. It was a large initial outlay and there were nights when I lay awake thinking. ?What have I done?? But I told myself that I had a product that would sell and, even if I didn?t actually make a massive profit, someone would buy them.
I wasn?t prepared for the amount of work involved, but my husband, who runs his own PR company, helped me. I arranged to store the scents in a warehouse-cum-distribution centre that would also send out the orders. I started contacting possible stockists in my local area and the first order arrived in October. There are nine home fragrances in all, along with the Collection 2007 and the Rosso Nobile. There is also a small bath and body line, and all of the products can be purchased from our website.
Dr Vranjes said he?d always dreamed of having his scents in Fortnum & Mason, so I gave the store a call and the buyer arranged an appointment with me. She loved the fragrances and they hit the shelves in January 2006. I?ve found numerous other stockists and I always seek out particular shops that play upon the luxury and exclusivity that I associate with Dr Vranjes? scents.”