SINGAPORE, Dec 17 — Imagine fragrances that remind you of the far-flung beautiful places you’ve loved or are inspired to visit — such as Lalibela in Ethiopia or the oasis of Siwa in Egypt.
That’s what the founders of Memo, a brand of perfume and candles, drew on when they designed their scents.
“We worked with perfumer Alienor Massenet to create these perfumes,” revealed Irishman John Molloy.
He founded Memo with his wife Clara, whom he first met on a ski trip where they shared a chairlift up a ski run.
“We shared our memories with her, about how we envisioned the scents to be, and translated those emotions into evocative fragrances.”
You can see how travel is so close to their hearts: Molloy sees Memo as, first and foremost, a travel company, one that is starting out with fragrances before possibly moving to other products in the future.
“Travelling is one of our most precious memories,” he said.
“Research has shown that scents are one of the most powerful ways to trigger our memories because the olfactory nerve is near the part of the brain that helps with making (these memories).”
Could you tell us how some of Memo’s fragrances evoke the destinations they’re about?
Many of our perfumes have an energetic, spiritual element to them. These are places our customers say have given them inspiration and energy. For example, Inle is a light, watery scent that recalls Lake Inle in Myanmar, and we have included osmanthus for an Asian touch, as tea is a big part of Asian culture. For Kedu, it’s inspired by the Borobudur, which sits on the Kedu Plains in Indonesia. (They have) a tradition involving throwing sesame seeds into flames, so we’ve used sesame seeds in it — the first time sesame has been used in a fragrance. We have another scent called the Siwa, an absolutely comforting perfume that we drew from being in Egypt, and being warmed up and comforted in an oasis in the night. Hence, it has notes of musk and vanilla for that feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket at night.
Many of Memo’s perfumes are about your personal travel memories. Do you have a favourite?
Most of them mean a lot to me. They are linked to different periods in my life, but I have to say Irish Leather is still the most meaningful. My wife Clara created it for me because I’m Irish. Ireland may be a small country, but we have a big heart and a love for freedom. That very scent with the hint of grass and leather takes me back to my childhood.
What places would you recommend travellers visit in Ireland?
Tipperary, which is in-between Dublin and Cork; Aran Island, where Aran wool sweaters are from; and Kerry on the west of Ireland. They are absolutely beautiful. They’re among the most scenic places in Ireland.
We hear you climb a mountain every year.
Yes, I love climbing mountains as it feels like you’ve finished something that you’ve started on. I have just finished climbing Mount Toubkal, which is the second highest mountain in Morocco. The most challenging? I’d have to say it’s Mont Blanc. It was pure pain and I wondered why I even did it! But what goes up must come down. I’m glad I managed to finish it.
Has all your adventurous travelling taken a back seat since having children?
Yes, your travelling habits change. I have two kids aged three and six, and we can’t exactly bring them to some of the places we used to go — although we did bring them to revisit Lake Inle last year. I’ve found a trick though: I sometimes ask my nieces and nephews along. It’s like a family vacation and they can be my nannies. That’s what I did when we went to America. My 16-year-old nephew took care of them! I could get some time alone with my wife. — TODAY
