I first came upon Goldhart Scotland luxury candles at a Scotland Re: Designed event held in Glasgow at the end of last year. Apart form the plethora of new young designer names showing their collections, there was a lone luxury candle stall which stood out, as much for the product in this setting but also because it was effortlessly and professionally presented which clearly spelled superior product.
This was a well thought through new business venture with five distinct and appealing scents presented as differently sized candles and accompanying on-brand product information, imagery, professional glass bell cloches for user experience, candle apparatus (candle snuffers and wick cutters all emblazoned with Goldhart) and with a easy to navigate professional website to boot.
That’s why it surprises me that by April 2018 I haven’t seen this brand escalate in the manner that it should have. It’s certainly not down to the energy and vision of owner, Lorraine McKenna, a woman who previously worked as a head buyer for designer stores group, Cruise, and who oozes luxury and taste. Says Lorraine, “ It’s been tough-going getting the name out there. I really believe in the product I’ve produced and fought hard to achieve global standards required of a luxury brand.” Saying that, Lorraine has taken the product to New York and it’s also gone down a storm while on a recent business trip to Dubai (where the best-selling fragrance was the lush, antique rose hedonism of Wild Rose).
Following a career break to have a family and bring up her two boys, McKenna had a real urge to get back into retail and devised the Gold Hart concept in 2014. She realized that Scotland had a global p
resence and there was an appetite for Scottish made, design-led, branded goods outwith the tartan and whisky industries synonymous with the country.
GoldHart Scotland has five Scottish landscape inspired fragrances:- Glen is a rich, rounded walk in the highlands with a an initial fresh bite of bergamot that grows to a warm country castle clove, nutmeg and amber heart and vetiver, tonka, cedar and sandalwood base. It’s redolent of coming in from a walk in the outdoors to a huge roaring fire and the welcome of a country estate. Bramble is a much sweeter affair with a ravenous berry bite and a warm gourmand fig trail while Shore is a salty, beach comb walk with sea mist drenching the skin. Wild rose is a beauteous and hedonistic over-indulgent spray of antique roses with a verdant kick while Amber (my personal favourite) is a late Summer balmy woodland of cedar and vetiver with a earthy patchouli, musk and vanilla note added for sweetness and sexiness.
GoldHart Scotland is one of those rare little gems that pop up and all too often disappear for lack of traction, which, in this case, would be a crying shame. It seems a no-brainer for the likes of Liberty, Fenwick, Space NK, Harvey Nichols or Fortnum and Mason to pick on a new, niche, British brand that is marketed and presented so well and with keen retail price points. (Travel size £15, Classic £35 & 3-wick £55). Over to you, then, keen-eyed buyers.
GoldHart Scotland is available online.
from Katie Chutzpah
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