Veronique Gabai discusses the power of pure perfume
Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start your business.
I was born in the South of France, by the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by its bountiful nature, its incomparable culture, its French “art de vivre,” and raised by bigger-than-life parents. My childhood fed my dreams, my ambition and a value system where respect, freedom, care and kindness are only second to a love of life. I built a very successful career creating scents and building brands for magnificent companies and great names.
I also wanted to express what I had in me. I had the desire to offer an escape to the Mediterranean, connect people to nature for well-being, let their nature shine through with products that would highlight their personality, and bridge luxury with sustainability, doing my part in protecting the very same Nature that inspires me so much – in essence, bringing “sunshine for the senses and the soul.”
I started my business just a couple of months before the pandemic, which was not very good timing, but we managed to connect with our public and build the brand online and in the most beautiful stores around the world, including Harrods and Liberty in the UK, Bergdorf Goodman in NY, Printemps in Paris, Rinascente in Italy, and Galleries Lafayette in Dubai. After the pandemic, the message of my brand, centred around offering “sunshine in a bottle,” resonated with more and more people every day.
What do you consider to be your greatest personal and professional achievements?
Professionally, to have created products that have stood the test of time, to smell people in the street wearing my perfumes with pride, and to have mentored amazing professionals in the industry. As a person, to live by standards I care about, to be the mother to a beautiful child who is a magnificent young adult today, and to have fostered a strong close-knit family extended to a very dear group of friends.
What are the keys to creating a profitable business?
A business has different stages. In the beginning, you must invest beyond what you earn, and it is imperative to focus on what is essential: a story that is authentic and touches people deeply, products that NEVER compromise on quality, and great sales support, through a team that believes genuinely in your message. As the brand grows, you must be very disciplined in balancing the left brain and right brain, the desire to build the brand and the understanding of good business. And you must be patient, as your resources are not limitless. The deeper you plant the seed and the more careful you are with the baby plant, the stronger the tree will be.
What were your biggest business challenges and how did you overcome them?
We went through a pandemic when the world stopped, two major department stores in the US went bankrupt, horrible wars that disrupted the lives of so many and the way we conduct business. These are challenges you cannot control, you can just manage your situation through it, like steering the boat out of a storm. This is what we did.
It was humbling, and challenging, and it limited our ability to plan further than a couple of months ahead, and yet, it forced us to keep forth what is truly important. For me, it is building a luxury lifestyle brand, committed to quality, sustainability, personal expression and service to consumers, in respect to the communities we serve, in trusting partnership with the people we do business with.
What advice were you given when you started, and did it help?
I was told once that I could sell anything, so I made it my responsibility to bring to the world only the best things. I am passionate about what I do, I care deeply about product quality, about how my line makes people feel, and how it impacts our communities and our planet.
How do you manage the daily stress that comes with running a business?
Finding a bit of joy every day is the only way. Sometimes we have big victories in business, and some days we feel everything is too difficult. Being grateful for every day that starts, taking a second to see the sunrise, the beauty of nature, feeling the energy in the city you are in, knowing my loved ones are doing well, giving love around me, and putting a smile in people’s faces and hearts greatly reduces the stress relating to business.
Do you take sustainability into account?
I always have. One of the tenets of my brand is to increase people’s well-being. You cannot do this at the expense of the planet or the communities in our ecosystem.
I use a high concentration of natural ingredients in my products because they procure a sensation of wellness, pureness, luminosity and sensual chemistry with skin, incomparable to what synthetics can do. As we use so many natural ingredients, I wanted to make sure we were sourcing them ethically and sustainably. It is a key aspect of our process. Our bottles are very beautiful luxury objects, designed to last a long time, and they are refillable. All our boxes are recyclable and reusable too.
How do you choose your scents?
It starts with the memory of a place, the energy of a moment, a sensation I want to share. Like Sur La Plage, which gives the exact feeling of being on the beach in the Côte d’Azur, feeling the softness of the sand, the sun warming your skin after diving in the salty sea, the slight amber odour of sun lotion applied an hour ago – Sur la Plage takes you there.
Or it starts with a core ingredient I adore and want to treat in a very specific way. Like Noire De Mai, all built around the Rose de Mai, the magnificent rose growing only in Grasse and harvested only in May. This rose is special, and difficult to get. So, I gave her a bit of a rock and roll attitude by marrying her with dark woods, amber and patchouli, making it a bit rebellious and very seductive.
Do you travel the world finding the right ingredients?
Yes, I was lucky enough to learn a lot about natural ingredients when I worked with Mr Jean Paul Guerlain and after leading a fragrance house for some years. It gave me a strong understanding of ingredients, the various qualities that exist, and how to pick and choose them. You can be sure that my perfumes always contain the best quality ingredients.
What makes the perfect scent?
The perfect scent is the one perfect for you, not for me. My goal when I create a perfume is to make sure it is original, beautifully crafted, delightful to wear, and leaves a memorable impression. But the most important aspect after that is to help my clients find the scent that fits them the best.
I always say that the last ingredient of my perfume is your skin. As I use a high concentration of natural ingredients, it is essential to try my fragrances on the skin to experience their full power and to see how it evolves once on your skin.
I also created a personality test, based on the correspondence of the senses, to help my clients curate the collection based on their personality. At the end of the day, I want my perfumes to help you express fully who you are. Finding the signature scent that will help you do just that, is what I strive for.
What sets your brand apart from what is found commercially?
The connection to nature for wellbeing is what is so special. The composition around natural ingredients sets the brand apart, and you will feel it when you wear the perfume. The experience on the skin is what creates the magic.
My perfumes are intense and long-lasting, but they will not overwhelm you, are pleasant to wear and will allow you to breathe easier and more freely.
It is quite hard to go back to more synthetic compositions. It might be why we have such loyalty with our clients.
I am also very proud of our sustainable bottles and boxes. Anchored in French heritage, they whisk you away to the blues and gold of the Mediterranean region, filling you with joy and sensorial discovery.
If you look back over your life and career, if you were able to do anything differently, would you?
I am in the place I was meant to be. There are always things you wish you did differently, but life is a long journey, and every day is an adventure, if you love life like I do.
What is important to you?
I love life, I love people, regardless of their backgrounds or origins.
My brand is a conduit to reach out to people and bring them joy, light, pleasure and confidence.
What and who inspires you?
Nature inspires me, people inspire me, art inspires me, the energy of the cities inspires me…I am curious and open-minded; I absorb what I see and feel, and then I put my spin on it, one of optimism, elegance and care.
Do you prioritise your mental health, and how?
I had to learn to limit the stress which has always accompanied me in my life and career. I take a moment every morning to see the sunrise and be grateful for the gift of life and the gift of love.
I also created a whole perfume line at the crossroads with aromatherapy to help people improve their well-being and energy levels. That line is called Veronique Gabai AROMA and it genuinely makes you smell amazing and feel even better. It has been named the Best Innovation of the Year 2023 by the Fragrance Foundation.
Maybe we can explore this line together one day. It would give us a chance to continue the conversation that started today. I would love it!
What 3 pieces of advice would you give to the younger generation that might want to follow in your footsteps?
1. Do what you love, love what you do. It is easy to fall in love with a dream of success, but it is only by enjoying the process of making it happen that you can be happy.
2. Be realistic and pragmatic, patient, open-minded, curious and respectful of others. Every day gives you a chance to learn. Only by opening your eyes and your arms, can life truly reward you.
3. Know yourself, and what is truly important to you. You will spend a lot of time working, it is not really what you do that will give you happiness. It is how you do it. If what you do and how you do it is aligned with your value system, then, you are in good shape for the rest of your life.
Get in touch: @veroniquegabai
