Stop and Smell the Roses, with Floral Street's Michelle Feeney

Flowers have been used in fragrances since the ancient times, when plant-based ingredients like blooms, leaves, and resins were blended to create scented oils. Michelle thinks the time has come to give traditional florals the modern upgrade they deserve. She’s no stranger to innovation. Starting out in PR, she worked with the pioneering women who built the London fashion scene. She launched Tommy Hilfiger’s first-ever fragrance, helped lead MAC Cosmetics to become the biggest makeup brand in the world, and created beauty products that went on to become cult classics.

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Heather Hyatt, who runs social media at Scentbird. She tells the story of the inspiration behind her fragrances, including an iconic Van Gogh painting and a famous British garden, and shares her advice on how to embody more confidence in self-expression.

Highlights:

• The 80s and what fashion PR felt like in its early days
• Lynne Franks, Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and other pioneers
• Why there was an influx of women starting their businesses at the time
• Launching Tommy, Tommy Hilfiger’s first-ever fragrance
• Creating a cult following for Crème de la Mer
• The moment of inspiration for Floral Street
• How taking a year off nurtured the start of a new career chapter
• Sustainability: Turning coffee cups into 100% recyclable fragrance packaging
• Removing the word “sexy” from fragrance marketing
• Working with Michael Nash to design the packaging
• Floral Street in a nutshell
• Scent Spotlight: Wonderland Peony, Electric Rhubarb, Sunflower Pop, London Poppy, and Neon Rose
• The Van Gogh painting that inspired a fragrance
• Beyond Scent: Beauty, Self-Expression, and Career Advice
• The story Michelle would want to tell about her life a decade from now

Featured Fragrances:

Wonderland Peony by Floral Street
Electric Rhubarb by Floral Street
Sunflower Pop by Floral Street
London Poppy by Floral Street
Neon Rose by Floral Street

Soak in all of our audio and video content at https://podcast.scentbird.com.