The scent of success

Swedish born Maya’s love of fragrance began while exploring her Gambian and Scandinavian heritage. Now she handcrafts perfume in small batches at her studio, selling both online and at the luxury department store Liberty London on Regent Street.

Maya grew up loving British culture and dreamed of one day moving to the capital. “I was inspired by what London had to offer. At 19, I packed my bags and hoped for the best. Now over 23 years later, I’m still here” she explains.

Moving to a new country that she had never visited before was a huge step, but Maya spoke fluent English so there was no language barrier. “My mum is Swedish and my father is Gambian. My whole childhood and teens were spent in Sweden, but I learnt English early on from visiting Gambia as a child.”

Creative journey

Maya settled in trendy east London and worked for the iconic fashion brand Carhartt. “I worked there for seven years, travelled for a few months and then, in 2008, I had my daughter.

 

Becoming a mother made me want to try a more creative path. In 2010, I decided to start a foundation degree in surface design at University of the Arts.

“I studied different mediums but found myself gravitating towards photography and textile design. I designed prints and patterns with African and Scandinavian influences – two cultures intertwined. I took inspiration from my heritage via old photographs from my family’s album during the 1960s and 70s. The images made me curious about translating what people and places may have smelt like.” This inspired Maya’s decision to pursue a career in fragrance.

Generational appeal

Maya founded her eponymous business in 2016 and, in 2021, she launched her sixth scent, Voyeur Verde. Her first, Nordic Cedar, remains her favourite and a bestseller. Of her process, she says, “Each scent starts with nostalgia that then meets contemporary flair. The result is a gender neutral fragrance that speaks to old and new generations.”

At first, Maya sold her perfumes to friends, but they soon reached a wider audience. She explains, “I started selling through word of mouth and then local stores. Liberty called after a friend, who is a make-up artist, wore my scent Vanilj on a photo shoot for one of their campaigns; the art director smelt her fragrance and fell in love with it. Liberty asked to launch me as one of their exclusive brands in 2018, and this was a huge moment for me.”

In balance

At this point, Maya was still working from the loft of her home on the Isle of Dogs. Today she has a team and a studio in Shoreditch. She runs workshops and has a new fragrance launch planned for this year. Having the studio enables her to separate work from home life.

“I think it’s difficult for anyone that runs their own business to draw a line but I really try: when I am home I am off, and in the studio I take care of things. I work within every single aspect of the business. I start the day with emails and often have a meeting with a photographer, designer or supplier. I’ll plan workshops, edit photographs, or set aside time to get out my ingredients and be creative.”

Key to success For Maya, there is no pressure to rush out a new fragrance every season. “The brand has evolved organically, I don’t like the idea of releasing something for the sake of it; I want there to be intention behind it and I want it to feel right. It's slow perfumery.” The beautiful vintage photos of Scandinavian life that first inspired Maya remain key to her brand and thread through her social media. It seems that genderless fragrances combined with a comforting measure of nostalgia are a winning formula for Maya Njie. Maya's London What is your favourite London memory? Going to Notting Hill Carnival when I was younger, it encapsulates everything I love about the city.      Where do you like to eat in the capital? My favourite meal of the day is breakfast and I have a few places that I love to go; Franze & Evans on Redchurch Street and Pellicci’s on Bethnal Green Road, an old fashioned Italian cafe with a great atmosphere. My favourite lunch would be a mezze at Gallipoli in Angel. For dinner with a view, I would go to Maya at The Hoxton which is Mexican inspired cuisine and, for a touch of Scandinavia, it would have to be the rooftop restaurant at Pantechnicon. Where do you go to unwind? My local sauna and steam room. I bring a scented flannel which I put over my head; I switch off and really relax. Who have you got on speed dial? My courier and my boyfriend, in that order. What do you miss most about London when you are away? Having so much on your doorstep: restaurants, museums, live music venues. Living in a well-connected city makes it easy to get around on public transport, and on a bike.  London's best kept secret is... SK Vintage, a store on Fortress Road in Kentish Town run by Sarah Khan. She also has a concession at Fenwick on Bond Street. Many of my favourite vintage wares are from her. Who is on your radar? Scent Trunk, an independent perfume brand that teams up with perfumers across the globe and releases collaborative fragrances on different themes. I formulated a fragrance for them based on Macedonia’s Pelister National Park. I am always excited to see what they do next.