Welcome to Charlotte Rhys, the Home of Luxury Fragrance
A passion for fragrance is what inspired the idea behind Charlotte Rhys.
So, when we get asked how the brand came into being and who Charlotte Rhys is, we can easily return to that guiding principle. Our other great inspiration is a love of the natural world.
I have been fortunate enough to live in some of the world’s most beautiful locations, including South Africa for the last 25 years. Its stunning natural beauty inspires us every day to create gorgeous products with a timeless feel. That enduring and classic element is enhanced further by a nod to my grandmother, Charlotte Rhys, who was born in Wales, a country very different to South Africa but also blessed with some luscious countryside. I, too, was born in Wales.
When I met my business partner, Shaun McDermott, (he also happens to be a phenomenal chemist - more on that later), we agreed as part of our vision that my grandmother’s name, Charlotte Rhys and my Welsh connection just gave us that additional sense of meaning and timelessness to the brand, so it seemed the perfect choice as a name.
The moment of actual inspiration began with a Christmas gift given to me by a friend visiting South Africa from New York - a beautiful bottle of Eau de Linge. This was a new product in South Africa and whilst I loved the fabulous fragrance I was also blown away by the gorgeous packaging and wonderful sense of indulgence and joy one got from opening such an elegant gift.
The idea was born to launch a brand that would attract by its style, entice by its desirable packaging and then woo into a lasting love affair with the quality of the contents and irresistible fragrances. Returning to our shared love of the natural world, Shaun and I knew we had to build a brand that would be environmentally friendly, with products that are sustainably sourced.
The ingredients could not be tested on animals nor contain any animal products.
Hence our mantra KIND TO YOU AND KIND TO NATURE.
Every day we live and breathe this promise. Our production facility is located near the ocean and the backdrop of Table Mountain reminds us of the surrounding natural beauty to which we owe so much of our inspiration. For 22 years we have continued to improve our commitment to the environment with the development of new technologies that help us to be more sustainable. Shaun’s brilliance as a chemist allows us to stay ahead in terms of product development - and I hope and believe I have added an innate sense of style and enduring elegance to the brand that so many of our customers love and come back to over and over.
Returning to that passion for fragrance, where we started our journey; we take inspiration every day; every morning, every evening, from our surroundings. We are so lucky to live and work where we do as our senses are filled with the beauty of the natural world - from the dramatic mountains rising behind Cape Town, covered with exotic and wonderful flowers, to the crashing blueness of the ocean. So, our mission is to fill the homes of our customers with a little of that same wonderful experience, through fragrance.
We will perfume your World and I think Charlotte Rhys would be very happy with the way we are going about it!