Linda Pilkington

About

Linda Pilkington is the founder and creator of the London niche perfume house Ormonde Jayne, established around 1999-2000 and still privately owned by her. The brand name comes from her middle name, Jayne, and Ormonde Terrace, where she once lived. She began by making candles as a hobby in South Africa, which led to a Chanel contact commissioning 50 bespoke candles for a Chanel Fine Jewellery store; her first invoice was Chanel Fine Jewellery No. 001. Word of mouth in London then brought further bespoke candle work for Burberry, Blakes Hotel and interior designers, prompting her to set up a studio, obtain a denatured alcohol licence and expand into perfumes, room sprays and bath products. In October 2001 she opened the Ormonde Jayne boutique on Old Bond Street in London, and by 2022 the brand reported 280 points of sale and 52 staff. Pilkington acts as perfumer and creative director, with her compositions translated into finished fragrances in collaboration with perfumer Geza Schoen at the brand’s London studio.