What came first - the name or the fragrance itself?
I spent six months creating the scent, testing it back and forth until arriving at two (almost, but not quite) finalists. I couldn't sleep and at 2am had a Eureka moment, combining them and called Alienor in Paris at dawn and said, 'This is it!'.
Once I had the formula, I then had to figure out a name. My packaging design was pillar box red and includes a vintage style Union Jack drawstring bag to 'sleeve' the bottle inside, so wanted a quintessentially British name to match. GQ editor Dylan Jones, who published a monthly diary of my A-Z journey creating a business, suggested I call it JACK - so I owe that to him.
Your fragrances are unisex, was that a deliberate move to appeal to both ladies and men?
As I was a teenager in the early '70's when everything was unisex, it struck me as antediluvian to create a scent that was deemed masculine or feminine.
Can you describe your typical customer that wears JACK?
From the direct response via Twitter, Instagram and online sales, there is no common denominator that I can discern. Selling directly to customers at the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia every November, my daughter and I have been struck by the wide age range of our clients - of both sexes!