Jo Malone: My Story

With an extraordinarily heightened sense of smell, Malone began her business from her kitchen where she made bath oils as thank-you gifts for her facial clients. She opened her first London store in 1994 and five years later she sold the Jo Malone London brand to Estée Lauder Companies. She remained Creative Director until she left in 2006, during which time she designed some of her most well-known fragrances, including Lime Basil & Mandarin.

Despite what seems like a meteoric rise to the top, Malone’s journey to the international stage hardly occurred overnight. She was raised in government-subsidized housing and struggled in school because of severe dyslexia. Unable to keep up with the demands of her education, coupled with her mother’s declining health, she dropped out and decided to try her hand at an at-home beauty business. After years of hard work and the eventual global success of Jo Malone London, Malone looked forward to enjoying more time with her family when her world was thrown: at only 37 years old, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and given just nine months to live. Refusing to accept her prognosis, she underwent treatment in New York and survived a double mastectomy, and thus began the second chapter of her life—which most recently includes the launch of her new luxury brand, Jo Loves.

Whether Jo is sharing details of her chaotic childhood, her fight with breast cancer, or the decision to re-invent herself and launch Jo Loves, her determination and down-to-earth approach to life is evident on every page of her new book, Jo Malone: My Story. Publishers Weekly calls Malone “an ambitious and tireless entrepreneur” and says “her story is full of tender moments and hope.” Kirkus Reviews echoes that it is “a moving and revealing account of [Malone’s] passion for business and personal success.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jo Malone has been described as an “English scent maverick” and the woman responsible for creating some of the world’s most-loved fragrances. Originally a facial therapist, Jo fell in love with fragrance whilst working from her discreet skin care clinic which she set up from her London home. Discovering an instinctual talent for creating scented products by hand in her kitchen, word of her exceptional potions quickly spread and soon Jo was unable to keep up with demand. From these artisan beginnings, Jo launched her first brand, Jo Malone London, which gained cult status around the world. In 1999, Jo sold the business to Estée Lauder Companies and remained Creative Director until she left in 2006. Five years after leaving Jo Malone London, she launched her new brand, Jo Loves, to global anticipation. In 2013, she opened the first Jo Loves store in London; the brand is available online via NET-A-PORTER.