Scent Education: Chris Wyatt Discusses his Career Path & Jo Malone London’s First Male Ambassador

Celebrate with us Jo Malone London’s introduction of its first male ambassador as we delve into an exclusive interview with Chris Wyatt, VP of Global Education at Jo Malone London.

We uncover Chris's fascinating career path in fragrance education and learn how Jo Malone London's announcement of its first male ambassador marks another significant step in the industry's commitment to enhancing well-being and promoting gender inclusion through the art of scent.

What has your journey been like in the fragrance industry?

I started my career over 25 years ago, in a Debenhams store, behind the fragrance counter, and I loved it. I truly believe that working on the shop floor gives you a unique perspective as you grow in your career, it puts you in the customers’ perspective and allows you to think creatively.
My career path has mainly focused on Education across different beauty categories from make-up and haircare, but I returned to fragrance about 15 years ago at Jo Malone London. From my position as VP of Global Education, I am fortunate to spend a lot of time in our stores and every trip I go on, every country I visit, I get the luxury of spending time speaking to our employees and engaging with our customers.

It really is the best market research you can get.

As VP of Global Education, why is fragrance education so important to champion?

Fragrance is such an emotive and evocative category to work in and it takes skill. There are so many levels of complexity to the world of fragrance, and we can teach people the history of fragrance, the composition of a scent or how a particular ingredient is extracted.

But where the real skill comes in is how people working in fragrance bring the stories of scents to life.
That takes a level of education that goes much deeper than just ingredients and science.

It’s something I believe our teams in-store do exceptionally well.
If we really want to take someone on a journey through scent; then we need to ensure we commit to teaching people and elevating their skills to do it.

While the fragrance industry takes on a focus on gender-neutral scents, how does Jo Malone London engage with consumers to create a gender-free space?

We have always created scents that are loved by all genders, and disregarded gender stereotypes when it comes to fragrance families and scents.

We aim to create an environment where people can discover their scent, with the help of a Stylist or at their own pace.
We will help you create a scent that is uniquely yours, by taking you on a journey through our olfactive landscapes and stories behind our scents. I could talk for hours about our in-store experience, so get out there and try it. It’s such a fun way to explore scent!

How do you find the fragrance industry landscape to navigate for male consumers?

It is becoming a lot easier for customers who identify as male to shop beauty in general, the growth of men’s beauty across the industry has been inspiring to watch, and as a queer person, the gender inclusion that I see through beauty fills me with so much joy.
I think it is important for the industry to truly be inclusive when it comes to gender identity.

If you are non-binary, transgender, a-gender, cis or all the wonderful colours in between, you should be able to shop products in a way you feel comfortable. At Jo Malone London, we have always had gender-inclusive scents.

And with the introduction of a new ambassador, it is just another way for us to signal to a group of customers that we got you!

What is coming up in 2024 from Jo Malone London that we can look forward to?

There is so much happening and so much I wish I could share, but I’ve got to keep an element of surprise.

Our male ambassador is something that we have been working on for a while and I think people are going to be very excited by it!

Meet the new Jo Malone London Ambassador, Tom Hardy

How will your new male brand ambassador help Jo Malone London explore a new landscape in the fragrance industry?

We have been reimagining how we speak to our male consumers, but also ensuring that we are communicating authentically on our core values which have always been at the heart of the brand. Our new ambassador is loved by women and admired by men, reinforcing our unisex appeal, but importantly he is also really supportive of our well-being and mental health messaging.

What area of fragrance do you find the most exciting to explore?

I love getting to the heart of how to bring the story of the fragrance to life.

If brands can do that and can inspire their employees to engage their customers on highly emotional storytelling, we can create magic in the industry.

What inspires you?

I started my career on the shopfloor and have worked my way up to where I am today- my inspiration comes from being able to help the teams who work in our stores understand that they can build a long and exciting career in this industry.

What is one of your scent memories?

Personally, I love vanilla, because every time I smell it, I am instantly transported to my grandmothers kitchen and baking with her as a child.
It makes me feel safe and comforted.