To the fairest [kallistei] was inscribed on a golden apple from the garden of the Hesperides.
The apple represented beauty, knowledge and power – qualities claimed by goddesses Athena, Hera and Aphrodite. This classical motif celebrates woman as muse – embodying the arts, imparting wisdom and inspiring creation.
Rebecca Rose
FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rebecca launched To The Fairest after years of collaboration with Penny Williams, an expert creative perfumer, with the objective of producing a range of unique fragrances inspired by imagined landscapes, literature and love: ‘Scent, for me, is about mood and creative expression. Through perfume we tap into our intuition, imagination and even our sensuality. In terms of connecting with ourselves and others, it is an incomparable experience – and that is what I find so fascinating’.
Prior to perfumery, Rebecca worked in vintage fashion and ran London-based boutique Juno Says Hello for nine years, dressing clients in vintage on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, Emmys, Elle Style Awards and the Royal Wedding in 2011. During this period she wrote an occasional online column on vintage style and design for the FT’s How To Spend It .
In tandem with To The Fairest, Rebecca is Creative Director of The Silver Library, a branding consultancy specialising in heritage and lifestyle brands.
Penny Williams
CREATIVE PERFUMER & FRAGRANCE EXPERT
Penny Williams is a Creative Perfumer and fragrance expert with 30 years of experience in the business.
Penny is a full member of the SIPC: International Society of Perfumer-Creators and of the BSP: British Society of Perfumers; she is also deputy chairperson on the Technical Advisory Group of IFRA UK (the International Fragrance Association), and a member of the IFRA Glossary and IFRA Global GHS taskforce.
Penny spent 17 years at an international fragrance house, Belmay, where she held a variety of technical and creative positions, latterly Chief Perfumer. She founded Orchadia in 2006 and today Penny and the Orchadia team provides fragrance creative, practical and technical expertise to people and companies all over the world.
Olga Emeretli
HEAD OF OPERATIONS
Since 2010 Olga had worked with several leading British niche fragrance houses. She oversees the planning, procurement, production, supplier chain relationships and operations for To The Fairest, supporting strategic and operational decision-making.
Olga admits that she still finds it ‘difficult describing what fragrance means to me – it’s an indispensable ingredient that nourishes and enriches my life. Daily I learn something new about numerous facets of this magical world, and scent helps me connect with people and open doors to so many cultural hubs, be it art, music, literature, architecture, or even food. It never fails to excite and further enchant me’.