Meet: LO Studio.
Meet the creatives behind LO Studio. We meet up to learn a little more about their journey so far...
Creating heavenly scented candles with a nostalgic twist, we were immediately drawn to the evocative range by LO Studio. Described as a ‘scrapbook of scent’, each hand-poured candle is wonderfully unique in it’s complex range and modern design.
Tell us a little bit about your journey and what it took to start the business?
Alan Aboud and myself are the founders of LO STUDIO. My background is in architecture and I have a small practice in Nottingham but I’ve also been making candles for over 20 years which I started doing after the death of my Father.
Alan is founder and Creative Director of ABOUD+ABOUD, an independent consultancy which he started in 1989 after graduating from St. Martin’s School of Art. The agency’s work with Paul Smith led to an introduction through a mutual friend in the fashion industry when I was looking to take my love for making candles and make it into a proper business. The working relationship grew into a partnership which resulted in LO.
What advice would you have for makers at the start of their journey?
Don’t forget the reason why you started making your product because what you make stands for your values. If you cut corners or dilute the essence of it then you lose the passion and the quality. It is so important to be proud of what you make.
What’s a typical day in the life of LO?
6am – put the wax melting urn on, then a cup of tea. Sort out the days schedule then turn to emails. We have colleagues in Japan who sell to numerous shops over there, so their emails come in over night. The day is often very varied, from pouring candles, to working on new products and mixing new fragrances.
What inspires you and the scents of your candles?
Each of the scents are based on a memory, some from childhood, others from a specific event. For instance Unkemp Geisha was born from the memory of a postcard and a tiny bottle of orchid oil sent to us by my father’s twin whilst in Japan. The postcard portrayed three Geishas, two of which were immaculate and the third was unkempt. The collage on the candle box uses the actual postcard that we saved for many years. I based the fragrance around the orchid oil and added pink pepper which has a playfulness about it and geranium mixed with vetiver to offset the sweet element.
How do you go about building a scent?
I spend far too much time creating scents. It is a real love of mine. I probably have over 20 in various stages of development at any time! I normally start with the main character (top note), it could be bergamot, rose, neroli. They are the star of the show but nothing without the rest of the cast. From this I decide which direction the fragrance will move - will it be light and delicate? More earthy and moody? Warm? Or fresh? This is where the mid notes come in. They can be anything form black pepper to juniper, bay or cardamon. They are often softer fragrances that are longer lasting and make up the body of the scent.
Finally I introduce the base fragrance. They are often used in smaller amounts. Cedarwood, ginger, vanilla, sandalwood, tabacco are some of my favourites. They support the mid notes and add a long lasting finish. I like complex fragrances and often have more than 15 different ingredients involved!
Is there a favourite product you like to make or are really proud of?
It has to be the candles because it took over 3 years to perfect them. It’s difficult to create an all-natural candle that gives the same scent throw as with paraffin wax. I decided to take it back to basics and create my own wax. It started as trial and error then I realised that there was a pattern developing that enabled me to engineer a wax that burned at a higher temperature. Once the wax was performing well I set about increasing the strength of the oils to further concentrate the fragrance throw. The candle studio was something of an alchemists lab for many months! The place was strewn with half burned candles, papers documenting each one and distilled oils in various states. It was definitely all consuming for a while!
Okay! Quick Fire Four:
Favourite spot to get a coffee?
Our village has a little red 1973 Citroen coffee van that regularly parks up near the village centre. They sell wonderful coffee.
What book or tv show are you currently enjoying?
Catch 22 by Joseph Hellar
Which artist or maker are you loving at the moment?
The Galvin Brothers are furniture designers and makers in Yorkshire. I love the way they work with timber, their simple designs and craftsmanship are a delight!
And lastly your favourite Pophams pastry (if you’ve managed to visit us) or what are you savouring from afar?
It had to be the Tiramisu pastries when they were available although I’m sure all the weekend specials are just as delicious. I have such a sweet tooth!
Find out more at Lo.studio
Follow @lo.studios