It has been a busy year for Saskia Havekes, with the launch of Madagascan Jasmine at Fenwick in London and the release of her fourth book ‘Flower Addict’. Who else could transform the Lee Mathews workroom into a blossom filled installation for our 15 year anniversary dinner? And for this portrait, Saskia’s team gracefully converted the front of her shop into a bloom-laden wonderland. Watching them work, felt like Alice tumbling into another more magical, botanical world.
Grandiflora’s first fragrance, aptly titled Magnolia Grandiflora Sandrine, the latter name a homage to the world-renowned fragrance composer Sandrine Videault. The second fragrance Magnolia Grandiflora Michel, named after Michel Roudnitska with whom Saskia also composed her third and latest fragrance Madagascan Jasmine.
Saskia asked Michel to interpret the Madagascan jasmine or Stephanotis floribunda, a lesser-known jasmine noted for its deep green leaves and waxy skinned petals and a firm favourite at Grandiflora. Michel describes the perfume he created with Saskia as a “typical heart fragrance”, composed by “trying to reproduce my feeling about the flower”. The arrangement is a perfume with a jasmine core, combined with subtle watery green notes and threads of musk. A fragrance that evokes summer, like a drenched flower freshly cut.
This is a special portrait for us, our great friend Saskia is launching Madagascan Jasmine in Australia at our Glenmore Rd Store on November 11th. For this picture Saskia chose to wear the Aida silk shirt and noted that it made her feel “real, strong and feminine”.
