St Giles

St Giles is a niche fragrance house born in London, founded by Michael Donovan, who is its creative director. Donovan spent more than two decades in perfume, working with some of the best-known names in niche, and press coverage calls him one of the UK's most seasoned perfume PRs. The company was registered in 2015, and the first collection launched at the end of 2017, exclusively at Selfridges in London.

The collection was made with the French master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour and took about three years to develop. Its idea is that each scent stands for a character, and the wearer either is that person or chooses the one they want to be. The first five perfumes are The Tycoon, The Actress, The Writer, The Mechanic and The Stylist, and a sixth, The Musician, has since been added. The house also sells body creams and hair fragrances in the same scents.

The perfumes cover a wide range. The Tycoon is a grapefruit, ginger and cypriol opening over castoreum and musk. The Actress is a floral with lily, pear and honeysuckle over vanilla, sandalwood and musk. The Writer pairs rosemary, ginger and aldehydes with frankincense, ink and cedar. The Mechanic uses leather, rubber and castoreum over musk and oak moss, and The Stylist is a mango and aldehyde opening over frankincense, tobacco and vanilla. The Writer was nominated for a Vogue Beauty Award in 2018.

St Giles sits in independent British niche perfumery. It is a founder-led house with one perfumer and a small, character-based range, sold through its own website and, at launch, through Selfridges. It suits wearers who like a perfume with a story and a distinct personality.