Deco London is a British fragrance brand which launched last year and is inspired by Art Deco and the glamorous Bright Young Things of the 1920s. Founder and Creative Director Sophia Fannon-Howell may well have drawn on her own ancestry for inspiration, being descended from a number of colourful characters, including English poet, satirist and Restoration wit John Wilmot 2nd Earl of Rochester and Grace O’Malley, the Eilzabethan Irish ‘Pirate’ Queen.
Sophia apparently has a passion for vintage perfume and set out to establish a luxury fragrance brand that reflects British elegance, history and quality. There are six fragrances in the line at present; three feminines and three masculines. They each have names that would have been popular among the upper classes at the time, with their own personality and sense of style.
Below are brief reviews of the three feminine EDPs.
Constance
Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin Blossom, Mimosa, Raspberry Blossom, Rose, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum, Vanilla, Beeswax, Musk
Constance is demure by day, transforming into a flapper by night. Starting off fruity with a woody undercurrent, it soon becomes gently spicy while remaining lady-like. The spices are gourmand-tinged and extremely soft. It’s as if they’ve been lightly pressed into the equally soft woods.
I get a strong sense of texture here; velvety, cushioned and warm to the touch. The whole feeling is rather languid. I see Constance lounging in an Egyptian themed nightclub, flourishing a long cigarette holder and sporting a razor-sharp bob. For Downton Abbey fans, she’s very much the Lady Mary of the bunch.
Millicent
Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Honeysuckle, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Lily, Ylang, Patchouli, Cashmere Woods, Musk
Millicent is more conservative and subdued than Constance; she is very feminine and understated. Her dark blonde hair is perfectly waved and her clothing is always proper and appropriate to the occasion. After an orange citrus start, the scent is full of well-blended, fresh white florals on a light and clean musky/woody base. It’s uncomplicated and not my favourite type of fragrance but Millicent is wearable, smooth and nicely done.
Loretta
Notes: Orange Blossom, Osmanthus, Rose, Jasmine, Patchouli, Moss, Amber, Musk, Vanilla, Vetiver
I instantly took a shine to Loretta when I read she is described as a “romantic bohemian, graceful with ethereal beauty”. The scent is an elegant yet relaxed white floral chypre and the kind that would drift along nicely on a summer’s day. It has the peachy tones of osmanthus and the cleanest of jasmines, creating a cool haze over a gently mossy base. Loretta is sophisticated and more thoughtful than her two sisters: a delicate modern chypre in the style of Perle de Mousse by Ann Gerard.
All three in the collection are good quality, tasteful and accessible. With the Art Deco packaging, they’re likely to appeal to those who have a thing for London during the Roaring Twenties era as much, if not more so, than perfume lovers.
Are you drawn to a particular period in history? Do you have any perfumes that reflect that era?
A Bottled Rose 
I do like the deco era, it also happened to bring us some serious perfume greats! As well as an interesting period in the world of art.
I knew of this brand, but haven’t tested them yet, so was keen to read your impressions.
They sound well done, but perhaps also a bit ‘seen before’? However, I would definitely test them if I got the chance 🙂
Thank you for this brand intro.
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I love the Art Deco era too. It gave us Vol de Nuit and that gorgeous bottle! Love so much of the art and design too.
These smell classic rather than vintage. Nothing ground-breaking but good quality and nicely done.
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Amazing how you find so many new things. I will certainly give them a good sniff if and when I come across them. Loretta sounds from the note list, the one that would immediately appeal. But as I am fond of saying, never go by note list. Bussis.
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Lila gave me these samples!
I’ve worn Loretta today and the polite mossy drydown is very pleasant.
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Ooh, the concept of this line sounds fun, and like you I am most drawn to the third one you review, Loretta. I absolutely love Perle de Mousse, so anything remotely reminiscent gets my vote!
I wouldn’t want to have lived then, but I am a fan of anything Arts & Crafts / Art Deco etc in terms of interior design.
Seconding Val in my admiration for how you winkle out all these new brands, and do the testing groundwork so we can home in on the ones that most appeal. 🙂
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Hi V,
You’re pretty good with while florals so I think you’d like Loretta.
It is a fun concept and I can see them doing well. They could be popular with visitors to the country who have a thing for Downton 🙂
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Since I’m sure that I would have had it much harder in all senses in any other period of the history (and everything would have smelled much worse!), I have no romantic feelings toward any of them. I wouldn’t mind though trying perfumes from any previous epoch.
I haven’t heard of this brand before and since I do not read that you absolutely loved one of these three, I don’t think I’ll be seeking them to try (not that I would pass on them should I ever come across the line).
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Oh yes, I wouldn’t like to live in any other era but I do love the art and design of the Art Deco period.
I think there is a tendency to idealise life in the past, particularly the idea of travelling back to Dickensian London which I reckon must have been pretty horrendous unless you had a lot of money and even then I’d rather visit the distant future, given the choice.
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