Talking British craft and international trade with Molton Brown

For International Trade Week, we have partnered with the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) to support our Made in the UK honour at our upcoming Walpole British Luxury Awards 2023. Find out more information here.

Founded in 1971 on London’s South Molton Street, Molton Brown has been producing unique, beautifully-crafted fragrances for over 50 years. From a specialist salon in Mayfair to prominence around the world, the original founding ethos of uncompromising care that puts the individual first is still retained at the heart of the brand. It’s in this rich combination of British heritage, uniqueness and a truly ‘made in England’ commitment where success has been nurtured at home and abroad.

It's this palpable Britishness and dedication to quality that saw Molton Brown honoured with a Royal Warrant from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. For Beatrice Descorps, Vice President of Marketing (pictured above), it’s that home-grown distinction and control of manufacture that sets it apart in a crowded global space. “Internationally, to be made in England is really that stamp of quality," she says. "From the Middle East to China, it’s what made in England stands for.” 

From hotel suites to bathroom suites all over the world, the Molton Brown name is a byword for the finest unique scents available. With its vibrant colours and bold aromas, it is clear there’s been no compromise when it comes to what they do and how they do it, even as it scaled up internationally. “We are supporting an act of creation,” says Beatrice. “We don’t tend to dilute the ideas our perfumers are coming with. We don’t panel test or adapt what we do for different markets.” This ferocious integrity and protection of process could be seen as counter-intuitive for global success, but it’s through that unshakeable identity that the brand has built popularity and loyalty.  

The storied British fragrance maker has seen rest-of-world sales begin to dominate their sales mix versus the UK and it’s a trend that is expected to continue even further. It’s clear, then, that Molton Brown’s plethora of signature scents and that mark of English artisanship show no sign of losing relevance.

When it comes to what continues to drive Molton Brown forward, Beatrice points to the brand’s home city as a perpetual source of inspiration and aspiration for its customers around the world. “When you come to London you can feel the diversity of lifestyle and people, it’s very international and you have all of those communities living together in one city," she says. "This is something that’s very iconic about London. We believe in eclecticism and diversity of perspective in what we do and that’s what we feel is bringing value to the fragrances we are developing.”

That notion of culture and community feeds new projects and collaborations too, something that can supplement and enrich the House story. For Beatrice and for Molton Brown at large, it’s an important factor for not only building connections and audience cross-pollination in the UK, but internationally, it continues to reinforce that British spirit and sensibility that’s integral to brand DNA.