I have spent a lot of time with Victoria in recent months. I used to work with Jo Malone and Ormonde Jayne where I became quite obsessed with quality perfume and candles. In recent years, a lot of friends started gifting me candles. I guess it is one of the most neutral gifts. Those gifts started sparking an interest in scents again for me and I wondered if I could somehow work with a candle or perfume brand again and ideally independent. At the end of 2019, I met Victoria Cator and she happened to be looking for some help with marketing and that was it for me.

However, due to my earlier training with scents and quality, I quickly learned that Victoria’s candles are of extremely high quality and she has a wide variety which makes the brand extremely exciting to work with. I have an unburnt La Litrone candle sitting on my bedside table and every evening I get a whiff of the scent – it is very nostalgic, which is one of the premises of the brand. What is nostalgic for me is the bottle green candle jar, which reminds me always of my mother wanting a bottle green car to drive. She found it very stylish every time she saw one driving past us in Islamabad.

What is your oldest memory of scent? What scent is the most nostalgic for you?

The smell of my mother as she kissed me goodnight.  She always wore Caleche by Hermes

5 words you would use to describe your candles and brand?

Authentic, beautiful, quality, stylish, retrospective

How do you take your morning coffee and where do you source your coffee from?

I grind my beans (always for freshness).  Either Kenyan and Columbian.  Have tried many brands but always revert to Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference strength 3/4

Your favourite spots in London?

Chelsea – where I live and partially grew up.

Your favourite travel destination?

India or Morocco. I love the Jasper Conran hotel, L’Hotel in Marrakech.

What do you always carry with you when you travel?

My shatoosh  – that I’ve had for over 20 years. In fact, I swaddled both my children with it!

Which are your favourite hotels?

The Lowell in New York and The Siam in Bangkok.

How would you spend a day off in London?

I love to see exhibitions particularly at The Victoria and Albert Museum which I can walk to.

Your advice to women starting their own business?

You must believe in yourself and your product as that will filter down to the consumer/

What keeps you inspired?

I am continually inspired by the people I meet and the places I visit. I love to travel and having lived in many countries has continuously inspired me with my book, interior design practice, and brand.