Fiercely
into sustainability (in a
nice way), we use
renewable resources and
are eco-friendly in all
our avenues of work. We
are strongly against
products that have been
tested on animals and we
use no animal
products.
Aotea
roa is the Maori
name for New Zealand,
and means ‘The Land
of the Long White Cloud'.
Myth and legend - not to
mention history - claim
it was Hine-te-aparangi,
the wife of the Maori
navigator Kupe, who on
first
sighting Aotearoa
called out "He
ao! He
aotea! He
aotearoa!" (A
cloud! A white cloud! A
long white cloud!). With
Hine-te-aparangi in our
minds we create perfumes
that echo her wonder and
joy at seeing our
‘long white
cloud’. Her vision
became part of our
inspiration.
How on earth did this
begin?
Back in 1983 while
visiting Santorini, that
most beautiful of Greek
Isles, Kate JasonSmith
chanced upon a tiny
ceramic pot containing
the most exquisite cream
perfume. Hoping the
perfume would last
forever proved futile.
But the little ceramic
pot Kate kept as a
constant reminder of
everything about that
particular moment in her
life.
Some
ten years later back in
New Zealand, Kate met
Francesca who explained
she’d run a very
successful business in
the tourist gift market
in Greece …
creating cream perfumes
in ceramic
pots…‘Do
you mean like this?"
asked Kate finding her
treasured ceramic pot.
Indeed, it was
Francesca’s
perfume!
Kate
urged Francesca to create
a similar solid perfume
product for the Pacific
market based on the
beauty that is Aotearoa.
In 2002 they decided on
their unique packaging
concept and their first
Original Range was
born.
