On the Scent of Success

Does New Zealand have a smell? If so, it might be Waiheke Dreams, a hokey pokey, pina colada, seagrass-infused scent from local perfumer Juliana Parfums Co. Or Rakino Weekend, an edgy mix of sandalwood, amber and seaspray from the producer’s menswear scent, JVKMen.

The brand was conceived in 2009, launched online last year and is now available exclusively in New Zealand at World Beauty; there are also plans under way to stock it at major retailers overseas.

Behind this burgeoning success story is Juliana van Kampen, a former graphic designer with a passion for yoga and the arts.

“The goal is to give New Zealand an identity in the world as a perfume destination,” says the 28-year-old. “Everyone wants a sauv blanc or something from Marlborough. New Zealand wines are right up there with places like Napa Valley or Bordeaux. I’d like to do that in perfumes.”

Her range has been six years in the making but perfume has been in her blood for much longer.

As a child, van Kampen and her mum would head to Wellington department store Kirkcaldie & Stains and spend hours sampling the scents. Her interest was reinforced while studying graphic design, when she chose to create a perfume campaign. Later, while working at an ad agency, she dreamed of joining luxury perfume brands: Dior, Chloe, Juicy Couture. Eventually she quit to “explore my own story”, studying to become a yoga teacher, her pull to perfume never letting up.

“I saw that there was that gap in the market for products that are very authentic and from New Zealand,” says the self-funded entrepreneur, who is of Croatian, Maori and Rarotongan descent; her father was adopted by a Dutch couple.

She got a job working part-time at Ecoya to get first-hand experience in the fragrance industry, and for a time, seriously considered heading to France to study perfumery.

“But then I met a local perfumer and it worked out better because I could make my product onshore. I’d have more creative control. I could make something very Kiwi.”

That perfumer was Yves Dombrowsky, the French-born, Auckland-based expert who has created signature scents for everyone from Trelise Cooper and Ingrid Starnes to Rodd & Gunn and Trilogy. But unlike those collaborations, essentially a form of brand extension, this one was rare in that Juliana Parfums Co focuses solely on scent. While Yves used his technical expertise, the concepts were drawn from Juliana’s imagination, inspired by her love of music, art, literature and nature.

“I think of making scents like writing poetry,” she says. “I love being in nature, so it’s about giving that gift to others.”

It’s early days yet but demand for the product is growing; this week she says she received an order from a homewares boutique in Finland, which discovered her on the internet.

Meanwhile, the World Beauty association puts her in esteemed company, the stores stocking her fragrances alongside the likes of Parisian brand Creed and the Sultan of Oman’s Amouage. In June, Juliana heads to distribution meetings in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York where she hopes to secure a deal with beauty giant Sephora. Also in the works are talks with Harrods in the UK and Colette in Paris.

It’s a match made in consumer heaven, the international retailers recognising the global appetite for authentic products, and a growing interest in products’ provenance and eco-footprint.

It helps that the Juliana Parfums Co’s aquamarine and navy blue colours have been selected specifically to represent New Zealand. The perfumes themselves are produced at a factory in Onehunga, and Juliana says the wooden lids are from sustainable forest in the South Island; she also offers refills to encourage recycling.

The laser-cut coloured Perspex around the top of the bottle can be removed and worn as a pendant. It’s an alluring point of difference, even if she is competing with some of the world’s biggest luxury brands.

“I think it’s the way that business is going,” she says. “I come from quite a spiritual path and I’m a conscious shopper. It matters to me to know that it’s an honest product. A lot of the companies that I support have the same sort of philosophy.”

The scents themselves tell an evocative story, inspired by family holidays to Waiheke, where her aunt and uncle own a bike shop. She’s visited them on the island for years, spending time at Oneroa, Little Oneroa, Rocky Bay and Stonyridge Vineyard. Teenage years were spent camping under the stars or heading out on the ocean on boats and kayaks to Rakino Island and Browns Island (Motukorea).

“I like the busy feeling of Waiheke as much as I like the mystery and exclusivity of Rakino. Rakino has a real feeling of escapism and I enjoy the feeling of being intrigued it’s one of those feelings when you arrive on the wharf, you can’t help but know something really exciting and magical is about to happen.”

Each of the ocean scents even has its own playlist; Bic Runga, Air, and Crowded House reflecting the “light, dreamy aura” of Waiheke Dreams, and Mr Scruff, Liam Finn and Vampire Weekend (hence the name of the scent) making more of a “hipster” statement for Rakino Weekend.

That might seem an esoteric way to experience a perfume, but Juliana says music was a big part of the creative process she had Tucan by Kids of 88 on repeat while working on her ideas. "We like to suggest playlists and artists on Spotify for people to follow so they can get a full experience of the scent and its vibe."

Meanwhile, New Zealand actress Raukura Turei is the face and ambassador for the Ocean Island collection and features in the perfume's promotional film, which references Juliana's favourite Wes Anderson film, Moonrise Kingdom.

Juliana has always identified as an artist, with photography, painting, music and reading taking up much of her free time, as does her love for Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Hemingway and Bond writer Ian Fleming. Not that there’s much free time these days.

“I’m quite a visualisation person, and I think if you have a clear goal for where you want to be, if you just take the steps, then you’ll get there somehow. I’m quite an intuitive person so to get to the finished product took a while but I have strong faith so it just feels like every day is getting better and better. I wake up pretty excited. It’s very energising work for me because it’s something I’m very passionate about.”