JO FAIRLEY
In 1991, Jo co-founded Green & Black’s chocolate, with her husband Craig Sams. She juggled growing that business into a global brand with her career as a journalist.
A former magazine editor (Honey, Look Now) and journalist for a wide range of publications, Jo has always had a particular passion for writing about fragrance, and is twice winner of a Jasmine Award, the ‘Oscars’ of the perfume-writing world.Jo remains a Contributing Editor to the Mail on Sunday’s YOU magazine, and writes extensively for other monthly and weekly magazines. With Sarah Stacey, Jo is co-author of the bestselling Beauty Bible series, which includes The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible and The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible.
For several years, Jo shared her passion for fragrance via www.thescentcritic.com, which is very much taking a back seat now that The Perfume Society is launched. Jo is Website Editor, and edits The Scented Letter, our beautiful subscriber magazine.
Jo lives with her husband Craig Sams in East Sussex. She works as a brand consultant and travels extensively in the UK, Europe and US, sharing the story of building Green & Black’s. (For more info see www.josephinefairley.com)
Follow @jojosams
LORNA McKAY
After qualifying as a teacher Lorna returned to Harrods where she had discovered her passion for retailing during a summer vacation. As an Executive Trainee she experienced the various aspects of running a business before becoming the buyer for Harrods own-label and Harrods International.
She was responsible for product development as well as running shops in Germany, Japan and on the QE2. Lorna’s success in these areas led her to become buyer for the most prestigious beauty department in the UK, at the celebrated Knightsbridge department store.
After 14 years at Harrods, Lorna became a Retail Consultant to the beauty industry. Having set up two independent perfumeries for clients, Liberty recognised her creative flair and keen understanding of the customer. Liberty commissioned her to create a unique concept for their first foray into beauty. In the early 1990s ‘self selection’ of perfumes was unheard-of. Liberty successfully launched this new style of shopping, together with a ‘virtual fragrance advisor’ – FR.eD (short for ‘Fragrance Education’), to help customers find their next scent. This concept will appear on The Perfume Society from summer 2014, given a new ‘makeover’ for a new tech-savvy world.
Always looking for the next big trend Lorna jumped at the chance to head up Beauty Department at QVC. Education has been very important to Lorna in everything she has done. The educational approach she took at QVC has been hugely influential in the success of QVC in the UK. TV was invaluable in teaching customers about the application, ingredients and USPs of effective products showcased on this innovative home shopping channel.
Liz Earle and Kim Buckland recognised her passion and understanding of customers’ perfume-shopping habits, and – having been responsible for taking them to QVC – asked Lorna to help create their successful fragrances for the Liz Earle brand.
Today, Lorna continues to work as a consultant within the industry, and commutes from the South of France near Grasse to London on a very regular basis for The Perfume Society.
Follow @LornaMcKayTPS
SUZY NIGHTINGALE, SENIOR WRITER
Following her MA, Suzy began writing for a local listings magazine in Brighton, working her way up to the role of sub-editor, before moving to London and working for Borders bookshop – sniffing tomes and gathering a library of fragrance books along the way.
Moving back to her home county of Kent, toiling away in the bizarre world of fashion for some years, while furtively indulging her passion for perfume by writing in her spare time for www.Fragrantica.com; Suzy then decided it was finally time to give in to the pen (well, keyboard) again and become a full-time journalist. Acting as a perfume consultant for national newspapers, the UK Correspondent for Fragrantica writing beauty features for London Beauty Hub and PHOENIX Magazine and contributing to various trend reports for industry professionals, her heart always beat harder when writing about the world of fragrance.
At various perfume events she hobnobbed with and got to know Jo, Lorna and Ines – so when the role of writing for The Perfume Society came up, Suzy felt she was truly coming home! Now combining her role as Senior Writer for The Perfume Society with various freelance writing, and trend forecasting for Stylus, Suzy is never happier than when sniffing out a new launch, interviewing some of the world’s top noses and – most of all – getting to share her perfume passions with daily updates on The Perfume Society website and full-length features for The Scented Letter magazine.
Follow @fragrantmaven
