HEELEY is a fragrance brand that has gained popularity not only for its original, modern, and elegant scents, but also for its sophisticated packaging design. We spoke to James Healey, the perfumer who "creates" all of this, who is also a graphic designer, entrepreneur, and qualified lawyer (barista), about his sources of inspiration and creative process.

• 

  
  James Healey

  
  Born in Yorkshire, England, she is a perfumer. After studying philosophy and art at King's College London, she worked as a designer. She encountered GOUTAL and learned traditional French perfumery. She then moved her base of operations to Paris and launched her own fragrance brand in 2006.

Modesty, a refined style born from a balance between past and future.

"The HEELEY brand actually has no concept. We want it to constantly evolve with the times so that its image doesn't become fixed. The fragrances created by the marriage of natural ingredients are gifts from the earth, just like wine and food. Of course, the fragrance itself, which deeply affects image, feeling, and memory, is important, but we also believe that the combination with the texture and design of the graphics, bottle, and packaging is an extremely important element."

James Healey, originally from Yorkshire, England, spoke to me about his fragrance brand HEELEY with great care and passion. Although now based in France, his manner of speaking is that of a true gentleman.

Healy, who studied philosophy, art, law, and psychology in London and is actually a qualified lawyer, says his interest in fragrance began when he happened to stop by a fragrance shop while waiting for his father to pick him up from school in Manchester.


"The first time I became strongly aware of fragrance was when I visited that shop. Even as a child, I was touched by its rich and profound world, and I began to think that I wanted to create my own fragrance someday. It wasn't a hobby that I would talk about with my school friends, but from that time on, I became strongly drawn to fragrance."

Healy personally selects the ingredients and creates the fragrances, and also handles the graphic design, but he emphatically states, "I am neither a perfumer nor a graphic designer."

"I was drawn to creating fragrances since I was a boy, and it was after moving to Paris in search of creative inspiration that I decided to pursue this passion. I trained at a workshop in southern France, and even now, I manufacture my products in that naturally rich area, focusing on using materials and methods as close to nature as possible. But that doesn't mean I've become a perfumer. To create my ideal fragrance, I blend the scents myself, design them, and even choose the packaging paper and hot stamping without compromise. However, for me, blending and designing fragrances aren't 'work,' but merely 'means' to realize my ideals. I want to continue to pursue my passions and realize various ideals without being bound by the past. I don't want to set specific goals. If I had to describe my profession in one word, 'creative' might be the most appropriate."


If you had to describe HEELEY 's fragrances in one word, it would probably be "modesty." They are fresh, modern, and stylish. While luxurious, they also offer a sophisticated surprise that sets them apart from other fragrances, making them feel very contemporary.

"To be honest, I don't know much about other brands. So it's difficult to express the 'difference,' but one thing I can say is that HEELEY perfectly reflects my own taste. While I respect history and tradition, I don't particularly like them, so I place more importance on evolution and surprise. A new perspective that balances the past and the future is necessary. Balance is paramount in both fragrance and life. Rather than leaving a strong impression, I focus on creating a natural, comfortable, and elegant feeling."

An elegant challenge, full of freshness and surprise.

• 
  HEELEY
• Eau de Parfum Menthe Fraîche (100mL) ¥22,000
• View Products

HEELEY was launched in 2006. James's debut fragrance, "Menthe Fresh," is a masterpiece that is still highly regarded today as a modern and elegant scent, primarily made with mint, a simple and popular ingredient that is notoriously difficult to create a fragrance from. Since then, HEELEY has released a series of natural and light fragrances such as "Cardinal," "Esprit de Tigre," and "Saint Clements," building a meticulous and profound world of fragrances. What significantly increased HEELEY 's presence in the Japanese market was the collaboration fragrance with the fashion brand MAISON KITSUNE , released in 2017. It was an eau de parfum featuring yuzu, aptly named "Note de Yuzu."

• 
  
• HEELEY
• Eau de Parfum Note de Yuzu (100mL) ¥22,000
• View Products

"I've known Masaya (Masaya Kuroki) of Maison Kitsuné since around 2002, when they started their brand. And Masaya himself was a heavy user of my fragrance, 'Sel Marin.' Both Kitsuné and I are unisex brands, characterized by being fresh, elegant, and timeless. We also share a passion and energy for music and fashion. In addition, Masaya has two roots, being Japanese and French. He has an identity similar to mine, being British-born and living in France. So collaborating with them was very natural, and in a sense, it was a wonderful and inevitable experience."

Even yuzu, a familiar fruit in Japan, is a novel ingredient in fragrance. Of course, overseas, the yuzu fruit itself is considered exotic. This could be described as a thrilling challenge typical of Mr. Healy. And his latest creation, "Blanc Poudre," is even more original.

• 
• HEELEY
• Eau de Parfum Blanc Poudre (100mL) ¥22,000
• View Products

"We were looking for a new challenge that would break away from HEELEY 's previous image. That's when we came up with the idea of creating a powdery fragrance based on porcelain artwork, which we had produced a few years ago for a Russian high-fashion magazine. The fragrance that came as a magazine supplement was meant to be applied to paper, not directly to a person's skin, so we needed to rethink it from the ground up."

HEELEY had established a public image of being light and fresh, but this latest work was approached with the intention of deliberately destroying that preconceived notion.


"In expressing the porcelain artwork as a fragrance, I utilized three ideas. First, a powdery white musk reminiscent of high-quality Limoges porcelain. Second, civet, a secretion from the civet cat, evoking the wildness of the chimpanzee. And third, vibrant jasmine and violet, reminiscent of wildflowers on the ground. By blending these, I have created the ultimate in richness, depicting an eternal being living in the fairytale land of Neverland, finished with the beautiful contrast of white and gold of porcelain."

Healy says that everything around him—yuzu, porcelain, and images and stories of travel—is his source of inspiration. So, what kind of "scent" will he "capture" next?

"Japan is always full of inspiration. I'm always fascinated and 'capture' its unique culture, the sensitivity of its people, its architecture, its food, and so on (laughs). What I find particularly wonderful is the marriage of old traditions and innovation. That sense of balance is ideal for me and very comforting."