The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
21 Conduit Street is the address of Jovoy's London boutique, a reference point, a homecoming. In 2020, the house turned to this location as inspiration, asking what a fragrance named after one of their own spaces might smell like. The answer came from perfumers Oli Marlow and Marie Schnirer, who took English perfumery's greatest tradition, lavender, and gave it new dimensions. Marlow's personal connection to lavender stretches back to childhood, and this fragrance became his chance to push the note past its stereotypes. The result doesn't reject the heritage; it expands it.
What makes this composition unusual is the way it treats lavender not as a bridge or a support act, but as the main event. Most modern fragrances position lavender as background, fresh, clean, unremarkable. Here, it takes center stage alongside the citrus, becoming herbaceous and slightly bitter, almost green-stemmy in its opening. The rhubarb amplifies this effect, adding a vegetal tartness that makes the whole opening feel crisp and alive rather than sweet or soapy. It's a sophisticated move: using green acidity to lift what could have been heavy into something that breathes.
The evolution
The grapefruit opens bright and tart, with the rhubarb adding a vegetal edge almost immediately. For the first twenty minutes, it's green-citrusy in the best way, sharp but not astringent, alive with the smell of actual herbs rather than synthetic freshness. Then the lavender arrives, and something shifts. It doesn't replace the citrus; it layers over it, becoming the bridge between the bright opening and the deeper base. The amaretto note brings a subtle, boozy sweetness that tempers the tartness without making the fragrance sweet. As the hours pass, the fir balsam emerges, resinous, slightly piney, working alongside the woody notes and ambroxan to create a drydown that is warm, intimate, and lasting. On skin, expect 6-8 hours of wear with moderate sillage that stays close rather than filling the room.
Cultural impact
21 Conduit St occupies a specific space in the niche landscape: sophisticated enough for those who appreciate classic perfumery, modern enough to feel relevant. It's the fragrance people reach for when they want something professional and interesting, not a safe choice, but a considered one. The English lavender reinterpretation has found an audience among those who remember the note from their father's or grandfather's cologne but want it reimagined for a contemporary context. This is office-safe niche, the kind of fragrance that earns quiet respect rather than loud compliments.
The House
Jovoy ParisIn 1923, Blanche d'Arvoy slipped a new kind of perfumery into the Parisian establishment. She named it Jovoy, a contraction of her nickname Jo and her English husband Voy's name. A contemporary of Coco Chanel, she ran a boutique at 15 rue de la Paix with distillation facilities in Grasse. Over 80 years later, François Hénin, a Vietnamese-born adventurer who had spent years chasing scents through the forests of Vietnam before training in Grasse, brought Jovoy back to life in 2006. Today, Jovoy operates both as a perfume house and the celebrated Embassy of Rare Perfumes, curating over 130 niche brands from its boutique at 4 rue de Castiglione.
The Creator
Oli Marlow & Marie SchnirerAs a fragrance writer rather than a perfumer, Marlow's style manifests in prose rather than formulation. His event coverage at Barnes Fragrance Fair demonstrates a preference for precision and specificity, highlighting new collaborations and noting notable launches with clear,…
