With Lyn Harris, a perfumer with over 20 years of experience and the founder of the Perfumer H brand, I talk about the beginnings of her career, getting up at six, the dominance of men in the industry, the scent of fresh jam, baked bread and fire, and the female creators whose work I admire.

Do you remember the first perfume you wore?

My father's DIOR Eau Sauvage. 

And what are you wearing today? 

A sample of the fragrance I'm currently working on. In a rather playful way it represents a person with a sense of style and sensitivity to the world around her.

So tell me, what does a typical day in your life look like when you're creating?

I get up at six. It's the time when everyone is still asleep and I have time just for myself. I drink tea and think about what I'll be working on today and what to assign to my assistant. Then I take the dog to Primrose Hill and Regent's Park — the walk helps me refine ideas. I spend mornings in the office talking with the team and doing creative work, and after lunch I smell new samples. Another walk, this time around Marylebone, and then I sit down at my desk again to prepare the modifications I'll introduce the next day. In the evening I go straight home to my son Henri. I make him something to eat and we simply spend time together — we don't have to do much. And honestly, I love it. 

Do you have any early but vivid memories related to scent and the women in your family?

My mother wore several perfumes, but I especially liked CHANEL°5 on her. My grandmother, on the other hand, always smelled of cleanliness with a hint of lavender; there was something immaculate, cozy, and safe about it. But that's not the only memory connected to her. She lived in the countryside and had a smallholding where she grew vegetables and fruit. She also had a large walled flower garden by a stream. She cooked every morning, so whenever I visited her I was awakened by the amazing smells of jam, baked bread and the background of fire. A true idyll.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the perfumery industry still seems to be dominated by men. Has anything shifted since you started? Or maybe it never mattered much to you, or the perspective from "inside" is different?

When I was taking my first steps in the industry, it was staffed only by men and a handful of strong women, including Monique Schlienger, who taught me in Paris. In Grasse I was also surrounded only by perfumers — literally them, me and another female perfumer. At that time it didn't seem strange or annoying to me, perhaps because I gained acceptance quite quickly — I was a tomboy and also British, and was seen as an interesting "novelty." In any case it didn't occupy my mind much; I had a goal and I simply got on with it — both my mother and father always encouraged me to be who I wanted to be, regardless of the obstacles I faced.

Do you admire your fellow perfumers?

I was amazed by what Monique created; I also admire Françoise Caron and Christine Nagel for their work for Hermès.

What advice would you give your younger self?  

Be patient, because true creativity takes time. Always believe in yourself. 

Which of your fragrances gives you strength?

Right now Wood Land — it surrounds me with the nature I love. I also adore orange blossom. And what really envelops me is incense. It engages the senses, calms and helps restore strength.