Jonathan Ward Candles + Fragrance

Hey everyone!

So my gorgeous friend Katie who I met through the Princes Trust was talking to me about her friend Jonathan, who is a phenomenal fragrance designer, artist, and all-round creative superstar and I was so intrigued that I had to reach out and connect. Check out Katie’s blog and Instagram as she’s super fabulous and you’ll love her stuff.

So Jonathan and I spoke on the phone and we were talking about his work and it was so fascinating to me because he had this very profound history working some of the major corporations not only in the digital side but collaborating on colours for Estee Lauder. He was just really fascinating to me because I felt a similarity in the fact that I had been very much involved with these big corporations but my gut brought me to do things that are more important, and we totally clicked. So Jonathan invited me to his workshop and I had the opportunity whilst staying at the Park Plaza, to pop over and see where the magic is made.

So firstly, it’s gonna be hard to encapsulate in writing the mythical prowess that accompanies each of Jonathan’s products, because these are powerhouse scents with a narrative. Not in the gaudy, can’t get that smell out of the back of my nose type of thing, but actually sophisticated journeys that each product takes. The names of the candles, which I should note are a very specific type of formulation because it was very important to create a clean fume, one thing that’s not mentioned in candles and fragrance, is the products within that burn are actually pollutants, some of the waxes over time can build up in your system and it’s very much an innovation to mix the high-end fragrances with this type of clean burn. I was really interested to note that. The glasses they come in are Italian glass tumblers that can be cleaned and reused after your candle has burnt, and the whole line combined elements of sustainability, health with a potent and gorgeous fragrance.

Each fragrance has a story, from Dahteshe which is based on the woman of the same name, an Apache prisoner of war who was the wife of Chihuahua. It’s a very clever and interesting way of binding the sense of smell with storytelling. The individual notes reflect what’s actually amassed in the narrative of the name, and it’s really quite beautiful that there’s so much thought with each product. I really liked the graphic design on the packaging, it reminded me of the Matrix and I thought it was a very fun and clever way to sort break things down to rebuild into a new thing, which somehow resonated with the brand. It also reminded me of Aztec mosaics of the sun, there were a lot of things I took from it and I’m definitely one of those people who will dive headfirst into imagination and pick up whatever comes my way.

One of the more dispersion lines was something that was really different and I wanted to note that one. It’s the Cosimo out of the Heirloom collection as we went through some of the formula and Jonathan showed me the fragrance compounds. It was just really astounding how much was in that Tomato fragrance, and it really brought me back to my grandparent’s greenhouse and I think that’s a testament to the power of these fragrances. There is a lot in the line for you to explore and I’d definitely look into the names because it’ll give you a hint, if not a path to follow that will explain a little bit about each signature scent and you’ll be able to find something that lingers with you.

Thank you, Jonathan, for sharing with me your behind the scenes, definitely write your favourite fragrances in the comments below and let me know what products bring a memory to you.