Fragrance brand Flaner was born from a love of wandering through cities “without a goal or destination”, says Andrew Hardeman, its co-founder. “[And London] is the perfect place to wander. It’s got history, it’s got culture, it’s got the clash of tradition and modernity, it's got all these different counterpoints for us to explore and discover.”
This potential for urban wandering is one of the reasons Hardeman and his co-founder and partner Mary Fox landed on London for the Melbourne-born brand’s first international store. It has just opened on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, a neighbourhood the pair were drawn to for its culture and creativity. “We’re trying to be a global brand with a global idea, it just happens to be that we’re from Australia,” Hardeman says.
Flaner was founded in 2022 and its fragrances are inspired by the “beauty in imperfection” of cities, and the scents that strike Fox and Hardeman as they stroll through the urban landscape. There’s the Sonic Silver, a fragrance that echoes the metallic smell that wafts from the tracks of Melbourne’s famous tram network after rain, with top notes of basil, lavender and bergamot, a metallic middle note bolstered by petrichor (the distinctively earthy scent that occurs after rainfall) and cardamom, and a base of asphalt and tar, green patchouli, tonka and musk. Another fragrance, the Manhattan Cherry, nods to the speakeasies of New York and is inspired by Manhattan cocktails, while the Vive la Fleur bottles the smell of Paris in spring. These signatures – as well as Flaner’s candle range – are stocked in the purposefully minimalist new shop.
The space, formerly pasta restaurant Burro e Salvia, has been designed by Chris Thompson of Office Of, who was behind the brand’s Melbourne store and has also recently relocated to London. It’s deliberately stripped back and restrained, reusing and repurposing materials where possible. Curved oak counters and wood panelling act as a backdrop to the fragrances at the front of the store, which is light and bright. The space becomes darker and cocooning as customers move towards the back, where fragrances are hand-poured to order in a studio fitted out with reclaimed leather and marble counter tops. Parquet flooring from a school hall ties the front and back together.
“We created the top, middle and base notes of each perfume, so a person can come in and smell what it’s going to smell like in the first 10 minutes, what it’s going to smell like in an hour, and then what you’re going to be left with after two, three hours-plus,” Hardeman says.
Right now, the pair are brainstorming a London scent to add to their collection of nine fragrances by the end of the year – and are particularly drawn to the capital’s park culture. “London gets so much [rain], the gardens grow out of control,” Fox says. “Even if you trim your hedge every week, it still just grows wild, so everything just looks a little bit unkempt. I love that Mother Nature, in such an established urban environment, is still trying to push her own agenda. That’s probably where we will start our London scent.”
The duo say opening a London shop is part of their commitment to in-store shopping, which is integral when buying a new scent.
“Fragrance is so much more than just something to smell nice,” Hardeman says. “It’s part of your identity, it’s something that adds a certain feeling to your day, and it’s hard to do that without a store and without a space, which is why we really value in-person experiences.”
Flaner
52 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP
Hours:
Mon to Thu 10am–6pm
Fri & Sat 10am–7pm
Sun 11am–6pm
