The Paris-based brand has launched its full fragrance line at Vancouver’s Litchfield and Toronto’s LAC + CO.
Issuing a fragrance note to Canadian niche-scent lovers: Lola James Harper, the Parisian lifestyle concept brand that’s gained somewhat of a cult following in Europe has launched its full collection of candles, room sprays and eau de toilettes at Litchfield shop in Vancouver and beauty boutique slash salon LAC + CO.
Founded by perfumer (and photographer/musician) Rami Mekdachi, who has spent the past 20 years creating custom scents for brands including Colette, Hotel Costes, Roger Vivier and Chloé, Lola James Harper was built out of Mekdachi’s desire to offer his family, his friends and the people he’s met from his around-the-world travels a platform to share in his belief of living a life of togetherness and creativity.
“My idea is to give words, smells, images and music to people, to create a place where they can imagine and play. It’s really about poetry,” says Mekdachi. “It’s been 20 years that I’ve been travelling the world with my family, taking pictures, recording music and working with perfumers. Lola James Harper was just our realization that we could do a collection of smells of the world, pictures and music and put them in a project; I didn’t plan to do it. And then Colette really loved it, and Bon Marche gave us a space, and we began to have more and more friends say, ‘Rami, I enjoy your way of life.’”
The full Lola James Harper line, which encompasses photos, music, clothing, coffee and even furniture, is still only available in Europe, but you can now snag the brand’s sought-after scents at LAC + CO in Toronto. Named after places he loves (“The Surf Shop of Stephane,” “The Bomboneria in Barcelona”) and mindsets he lives by (“Just Say Yes,” “Do What You Love with People You Love”), each scent was created by Mekdachi to capture and evoke a particular memory or feeling in his life.
Housed in elegant warm-brown glass with amber red lettering, the candles, room sprays and eau de toilettes add a sophisticated touch to your living space and offer small (and sweet-smelling) moments of respite. “Lola James Harper is a reason to dream and to love what life gives us,” says Mekdachi. “It’s my world that I love, but come play in it.”
Lola James Harper ($75–$180) is available at LAC + CO (172 Davenport Rd.) in Toronto.
