After almost 90 years Lili Bermuda Perfumery has landed in the U.S.
Palm Beach to be exact.And we could not be more excited. Despite international acclaim and rising demand, Lili Bermuda fragrances were available exclusively in Bermuda or on their website until now. While in Palm Beach I was able to pop into the new and only U.S. store located on Worth Avenue down the quaint Via Newsome, similar to a charming St. George’s alley. Here is where I met the delightful Ivy Goldberg the store manager who took me through the journey of Lili Bermuda. It is a wonderfully welcoming space like stepping into a Bermuda home where you can take your time and experience the scents of Bermuda. Maybe even sip a Dark n’ Stormy while you choose your fragrance.
The sparse availability of Lili Bermuda fragrances has remained consistent through its 90-year history, where the discriminating clientele has remained faithful to the romantic stories told in each carefully handcrafted bottle of fragrance made on the island paradise of Bermuda.
“Lili Bermuda is an artistic reflection of Bermuda where each fragrance represents the Island's natural beauty: from the pure scent of the wind and fresh salt spray of the ocean, to its luscious botanicals such as Bermuda cedarwood, spring freesias and juicy loquats.
Every creation is meticulously developed on-island at historic Stewart Hall under the direction of Perfumer Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone. "Art reflects environment," she says and Bermuda's authenticity is present in every bottle filled by hand. You can catch Isabelle in the Perfumery early in the morning weighing essential oils and blending them into a fragrance that captures the story of Bermuda”
Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone has been the Perfumer at Lili Bermuda Perfumery since 2004 after moving from her native Canada. She assumed ownership of the nearly century-old Lili Bermuda Perfumery and studied under perfumer David Bothello, benefiting from his 45 years of experience in the art of telling Bermuda's story through fragrances.
In 2006 Isabelle created her first scent, Coral. This elegant, light and luminous scent of wild freesia, pink rose, refreshing ginger and clementine adorned Isabelle with newly earned respect in the world of perfume. "Coral is Bermuda in the spring, a rebirth. It represents my own beginning in creation - soft flowers, lingering freshness of the wind, modern but also elegant," explains Isabelle.
Isabelle's inspiration is a fusion of her father's garden in Montreal and the romantic scents of Bermuda. The Island's pure scent of wind, fresh salt spray of the ocean and luscious flowers are signatures of Lili Bermuda.
Isabelle insists Lili Bermuda fragrances be carefully handcrafted in Bermuda, as they have been since 1928. And now, under her direction, and newfound international acclaim, the hand tied ribbon on every Lili Bermuda perfume is breathlessly sought after by people all over the world. Isabelle will spend many months each winter in Palm Beach with the opening of her new store. Of course with my love ( or obsession with fragrance) I had many questions, and she was gracious enough to answer them.
What sells a fragrance?
I believe that what sells a fragrance is the emotional connection that it triggers when you smell the fragrance. It can be because it reminds you of someone special, of a memorable place, or simply because you think it smells divine and you want to surround yourself with such beauty.
I also believe that you don’t just connect with fragrance with your nose, but also with your eyes and other senses. The whole experience of encountering a fragrance needs to be flawless: from the person who introduces to it, to the packaging, and the circumstances surrounding your discovery of a fragrance. For some people branding and the name of a designer is a sign of quality, whereas for others, the intrinsic quality of a fragrance will be enough to make its own statement.
Like everything scents change and evolve over time. How has our choices in the scents we choose changed over the decades? For example, it has been almost 100 years since the launch of Chanel No. 5, and it has firmly held it's spot in the top 5 best sellers ever since. Yet Opium that was popular in the 90's may not be as popular now.
This is a true statement, but I believe that branding and marketing has a lot to do with keeping a fragrance fashionable, especially in the designer’s fragrance world. I compare this with fashion in many ways: you have your classics, which I refer to as your little black dresses, and then you have your more fashionable fragrances that go in and out of style. There has been a lot of innovations in the pallet of the perfumer in the last 20-30 years, which has allowed us to go places we would never have dared to go before. Also, there are so many new perfumes launched every year that we are forced to be very creative with our new fragrances.
What Lili Bermuda scent started the company and how has the popularity changed over the years?
The very first fragrance of Lili Bermuda was Easter Lily, which was created back in 1928. In those days Bermuda Easter lilies were exported to the USA every spring as Bermuda was very much the garden of the US Northeast. Most of our first fragrances were inspired by single flowers: Jasmine, Oleander, Frangipani. These are still popular scents, but indeed very classic in their genre and sillage. Today, we find that our clients are more inclined to fall in love with fragrances that are more revealing of an emotion, a season, or of a place, and not necessarily of “one” botanical. For instance, our fragrance South Water is about the beach in Bermuda. Its notes are of Coconut milk, guava and sea salt. You can totally feel the sun on your skin and hear the crashing waves just by smelling it on a blotter. It conveys a perfect Sunday afternoon in Bermuda like nothing else. My South Water lovers can’t get enough of it.
What are customers looking for in a scent today?
With all the choices available in terms of fragrance, I think customers are looking for something that honors the color of their souls. And they can find it by trying many. Wearing a fragrance reveals a very intimate part of who we are, so choosing it well is very important. I think more than ever customers are self-aware, discriminating when it comes to beauty and originality, and they want to make sure that the fragrance they wear suits their personality and character.
Having a signature scent is important, how best does one go about choosing a scent for themselves.
It is trial and error. What smells good in a bottle or on someone else may not smell good on you. I think you must trust your instinct. Like clothing, if a fragrance suits you, people around you will comment and ask you what you are wearing. People do not comment on a fragrance they do not like. But if they like it, they will let you know. But you will also know in your heart, because that fragrance will make you feel beautiful…..and that is certainly the most important factor.
It is a new decade and time to change and evolve a bit, a fun way is with our perfume and signature scent. Where do you see the new scents of the 20's coming from or being?
Great question! I think that we have gone so far in terms of creating weird and abstract fragrances that there may be a bit of going back to the inspiration of simple nature: single flowers, classic orientals and fougeres, but with modern and quality materials. As I said below, the recent innovations have brought to our pallet some amazing materials in the recent years. I think perfumers will also focus on what their individual style is as opposed to just do whatever is in style.
How are new scents developed, where does the inspiration come from?
You have to come to Bermuda to see where my inspiration comes from….this place is amazing and a hub for smells, textures and colors. Each season brings its majestic personality and incredible flora. I have never visited a place as rich in terms of beauty as Bermuda is. And yes, I have gone many places. Just landing here on a beautiful sunny day fills my heart with joy. And it is not just the beauty of our natural landscape – the lifestyle this place offers is incomparable. Bermuda is very affluent, but at the same time quite laid back. I often say that as a perfumer I am perfectly located in the middle of the ocean between New York and Paris, and I have totally used the influence of both continents.
I really excited to bring Lili Bermuda to Palm Beach Florida as our very first venture outside of Bermuda. The reason I chose Palm Beach is because I feel that out perfumery is “resort” like and fits their better than any big urban center. Our fragrances are happy, light, and cheerful. Yet, they are elegant, creative and have a wonderful Bermuda signature. Our first few months so far have been fantastic and we look forward to showcasing our fragrances to many Floridians and snowbirds coming south.
