This short documentary by Katharine Round introduces Roja Dove smelling in his element – London, UK (See transcribed excepts below). This brings to mind CB I Hate Perfume’s Christopher Brosius in the episode 2 of the BBC Perfume Documentary, where he is seen stiffing around the very same city trying to get a true whiff of all things quintessentially English. Clearly perfumers go to great lengths to get their creative juices flowing.

“For me scent totally defines a city, or a city can be, if you like, defined by its scent. Scent captures a place or the mood of a place. It creates it. It’s disarming, it’s alarming, it’s something totally magical.

My very first memory of perfumery is as a small boy of maybe 6 or 7 years old being kissed goodnight by my mother who was standing framed by the doorway wearing a gold lamé cocktail dress. I remember very, very distinctly the smell of her face powder, and also the smell of her scent. And I think my entire destiny started off at that point. I think when you visit anywhere, the first thing that will greet you as you step off of or out of the airport is the smell of the place you’re visiting. And I think somehow to be able to encapsulate that scent, is for me something which is wonderful.

We’re busy living in cities. We sort of have – of course have views and opinions of the city, but I think it’s rare somebody actually sits down and says, ‘What does my city say to me?'”