An Audience with Jo Malone at Birmingham Town Hall
Jo Malone is a fragrance legend, the woman who founded both the Jo Malone brand and Jo Loves, scents that define key moments in so many women’s lives. Yesterday she was in Birmingham for a special audience at the City’s beautiful Town Hall. She talked about her life, it’s ups and downs and of course, she chatted all about her extraordinary fragrance journey.
Here are some of the highlights of her talk.
About her Mother
“…My mum taught me a love of beauty…”
“I appreciated the fragrances my mother wore – Joy by Jean Patou, Je Reviens by Worth. My father wore Eau Sauvage by Dior. They opened up a world of luxury from an early age despite living in a council house.”
” Mum went to work at Revlon. I met Madame Lubatti (blonde, tall, always wearing fishnets, 80 years old.) Mum was a facialist so I would spend time in the lab. I couldn’t read the labels on the bottles, but could recognise the smells and the scents of the ingredients. It was like my nose was learning a language.”
“From Madame Lubatti I learned that if you can’t do something brilliantly, don’t do it at all.’
On Skincare
Jo was one of London’s most important facialists with clients including Sarah Ferguson.
“Skincare was my business, fragrance was my hobby.”
On setting up Jo Malone
“I was literally doing thousands of orders in my kitchen.”
“We decided we would get a shop and give it a year to make a success. We opened the first shop on Walton Street. Within a month it was working and was established. We made our first million within our first year.”
Two years in the company was sold to Estee Lauder, with Jo staying on to continue her role in the business – the creation of new fragrance and expansion of the store, but then Joe was diagnosed with cancer.
On breast cancer
“2 years into Jo Malone I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. I was treated in the US, I thought I would be there for maybe 5 days, I was actually there for a year. When I returned to work I was involved in the opening of a new store on Madison Avenue, but I felt that this wasn’t me anymore, I was detached from the company and the stores, even my sense of smell had been affected by the chemo.”
Jo decided to leave Jo Malone completely, and was then not allowed to work in the cosmetic industry for five years (aka the golden handcuffs).
On leaving Jo Malone
“I never anticipated the love I would feel for the cosmetic industry – making fragrance is the only thing I can do. Didn’t realise how hard it would be to leave the beauty industry for five years – just how much I would miss it.”
“In five years of not creating I lost a part of who I was. The only way to find Jo again was through creating fragrance.”
On creating Jo Loves
“Building a second brand was the hardest thing I have ever done.”
“The two brands are different parts of my life. Jo Malone was who I was in my twenties, Jo Loves is who I am now. I love both equally.”
On returning to Elizabeth Street
16 years old, I had my first job in a florist in Elizabeth Street, and then worked in a Deli on Elizabeth Street, got the sack from both. 49 years old, looking for a home for Jo Loves and find the perfect place on Elizabeth Street. That shop is a jewel, I feel like I’m home. Customers love the tapas bar for the nose, getting a sense of smell and fragrance.”
Any big regrets?
“I turn a page every single day. I do regret some things I’ve said, I am hot tempered. But I don’t regret life changing decisions.”
Favourite fragrances
“Two favourites. Lime, basil and mandarin, I used to call it my pension fund. Now I love Pomelo, I feel safe when I smell that smell, my second chance.”
On life
“I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am right now.”
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26 Comments
Sarah (Mum x3x)
The packaging/bottle of that perfume is beautiful! I also like the scents Lime and Basil. Jo has been through so much, what a brave, inspiring woman! I am so glad she found herself again! xx
Tamsin
Wow, 5 years that she wasn’t allowed to work within the cosmetic industry. It just seems like such a long time, but then I guess she knew that when she signed all the paperwork. Glad to hear she’s back and making fragrance again, and that you got to meet her!
LaaLaa
Such an amazing read, imagine being in an industry for so long and then having such a long break but it’s good she’s bounced back x
Rachel
Oh wow what an amazing event, I have met Jo a few times now and she is such an inspiration x
Nikki
What an inspiring woman! It must have been so hard to be away for 5 years!
Ana De- Jesus
Aw I love Jo Malone and it is amazing how much she has achieved despite being through so much.
Sarah
How inspiring! And what a fantastic opportunity for you to meet her!
Liz Mays
Jo sounds like such an inspiring person. She must be super driven. It’s great that she has been so successful.
Rhian Westbury
Sounds like such a great oppurtunity, I absolutely love Jo Malone’s cologne x
francesca
Awwh this awesome!! I love Jo Malone, its great t hear about her experience and that she is a real person like the rest of us!
Sarah Bailey
Oh wow how cool this is I bet it was fascinating to hear her speak and of course amazing to meet her. x
Teresa
An inspiring woman with a fascinating story.
Milly
Jo Malone is so inspiring and I love her products! Amazing that you got to meet her too!
Helen at Casa Costello
What an interesting lady and post – I didn’t know anything about her not being with JM before reading this. My questions is, What did she smell like?
Kathryn
Oh wow! I would absolutely have loved to attend this. Her products are amazing and she’s such an interesting person xx
Hannah
I would have loved to have gone to this! Sounds amazing x
Jodie
What an amazing story to read. Thanks for sharing! I find it interesting how brands come to be
Baby Isabella
Woweee what a brave, driven woman. We never knew she had aggressive breast cancer. What an inspiration. We love Jo Malone scents.
Anosa
What an inspiration, I have seen a couple of Jo Malone items but never actually knew that (1) it was a she and (2) what she looked liked.
Ali -We Made This Life
She has had an amazing life, I wasn’t aware until recently of her new Jo Loves brand or that she was no longer involved in the Jo Malone brand.
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
Wow what an amazing experience I bet you were very excited to meet her.
Sam B
I am a massive Jo Malone fan, I take a lot of inspiration from her. Having gone through cancer myself, I understand how hard it is after. I also love her Jo Loves range, beautiful!
Rachel
I love Jo Malone, she’s such an inspiration. That’s so amazing that you go to meet her! xo
AJ Wathern
How nice for you that you go to meet someone so special to you! I didn’t know any of these things about Jo so thanks for your informative post, I didn’t even realise that she wasn’t involved with her original brand anymore. Peony & Blush is one of my favourites <3
Nayna Kanabar
Lime and basil , an interesting combination. Jo Malone is a very inspiring woman.
Lubka Henry
Such an inspiring woman! Must have been exciting meeting her 🙂