story.
It began with fragrance…
I still recall, as a child, rubbing my hands on the lavender, rosemary, tomato, and geranium leaves in the garden of my California home. Years later, when living in Zurich, I was hypnotized by the mouth-watering scent of fresh-baked pastries wafting from various patisserie windows, in Milan, my obsession was with the aroma of chestnuts roasting on street-corners through Autumn and Winter. Ever drawn in by the smell of old books and a worn leather chair, much of my time is spent stopping to smell not just roses but the gardenias, tuberose, jasmine and orange blossoms in Southern California and the lilacs, lilies-of-the-valley and heliotrope in the Northeast, truly fragrance has always been my first love.
“In 1994, after a decade of working as a model and actress in New York, and a move to Los Angeles, I opened a tiny retail store and filled it with what I knew and loved, Candles”.
In 1994, after a decade of working as a model and actress in New York, I moved to Los Angeles and opened a small retail store, filling it with what I knew and loved, candles.
Since it was before the ‘boom’, there were very few candle products to choose from. I filled the space with what I could find and created ‘Candle Gift Baskets’ to fill up the empty shelf space. Those ‘shelf fillers’ quickly became the must-have Hollywood gift for every movie industry insider and my little store, ‘Illume’ grew to become one of the most frequented gift shops in Los Angeles. Profiled in many publications, featured on numerous television and news shows, it was frequented by A-list celebrities as well as supplying movie sets, that little store became more popular than I ever could have imagined.
Finding high-quality, good-smelling candles to fill the store was a persistent and frustrating issue. Deciding to solve the problem, I began experimenting at night, making candles in my kitchen then selling them at Illume. Before long, I was receiving orders from other retail stores, and within five years ’Illume Wholesale’ had moved from my kitchen into a 25,000 sq. ft. space with a crew of over 125 amazing people. Due to the innovation and uniqueness of our fragrances (including a holiday-themed ‘Roasting Chestnuts’ candle), Illume Wholesale grew to become the industry leader at the forefront of the candle ‘boom’ and today is still regarded as a major national candle brand in the USA.
After selling Illume Candles, I embarked on my new adventure, FRAGRANCE.
Though staying true to my love of scent, I wandered from home to personal fragrances, launching Izzy Sayan. My goal was to create a line of ‘layered’ scents that would be as unique in the personal fragrance arena as Illume was to home fragrance. This was a time before niche fragrances had any recognition, back when the market was dominated by the multi-national cosmetic industry giants and ideas like layering still garnered puzzled looks.
Though staying true to my love of scent, I wandered from home to personal fragrances, launching Izzy Sayan. My goal was to create a line of ‘layered’ scents that would be as unique in the personal fragrance arena as Illume was to home fragrance. This was a time before niche fragrances had any recognition, back when the market was dominated by the multi-national cosmetic industry giants and ideas like layering still garnered puzzled looks.
Izzy Sayan brought fragrances like Spiked Rhubarb, Bamboo & Olive, Gardenia Clove and Kumquat to the perfume market. Launched by Ron Robinson in Los Angeles and Henri Bendel in New York, it was regularly featured in publications like Vogue, The NY Times, In Style, Us Magazine, SPA Magazine and W Magazine. Though Izzy Sayan is no longer available today, there are a passionate band of diehard cult-fans whom still hoard and trade the products online, proving that when it comes to scents, people will do almost anything to hold onto what they love.
I have spent the last decade and a half consulting with numerous companies on their various Home and Personal Fragrance lines. I am also fortunate to be the mother of two amazing human beings, fashion designer Harris Reed and Izzy, studying diligently to one day, make the world a better place.
Continually expanding my fragrance knowledge by attending classes in London and Los Angeles, I proceed to work with luxury brands as a fragrance and product development consultant. In 2019, I launched Fluid Fragrances with my partner Phil Clark and currently live between Italy & Los Angeles, however in February 2020 the world had other ideas and we were forced into lockdown in Italy, due to COVID-19.
After an initial few weeks off ‘wondering what is happening’, and a 20 year gap between paint brushes, I am excited to say that I can now add ‘Painter’ to my resume, shipping pieces of my art to clients as far away as Australia & the Americas and more local locations such as Ireland, Italy, France & UK.
My studio is in an ‘old’ building in the north of Italy. Late at night when everyone is asleep is when things just seem to flow through me and onto the canvases.
along came art…
I have always loved paintings and art in general, so while living in NYC in the 80’s, I regularly went to museums and galleries. Attending Parsons School of Design, I started my major in Interior Design before switching to Ceramics, however did not end up completing the degree as I returned to California. What I did learn during my time at Parsons was color, perspective drawing, as well as art foundation essentials. How much I actually remember is unclear because what I am experiencing today is unlike anything I have ever done. .
It took lockdown during a pandemic to have found my way back to art. In the early days of March 2020 it was terrifying here in Italy. There were police driving through the town we live in telling everyone over loud speakers to stay inside their homes. No one was out, everyone was frightened. I don’t speak the language, and had only my partner here to lean on. I lost one of my two jobs in America (I work remotely) as they prepared for what was coming, and the second job slowed to a trickle. I needed something to keep my mind busy and with no where to go to shop, it was Amazon to the rescue with art supplies. I watched endless YouTube painting videos, took online workshops, and joined facebook artist groups. I became obsessed. Picking up a brush for the first time in over two decades as a way to help cope with the anxiety and fear of what was happening around us, now I cannot imagine a day without one in my hand.
Now that we are no longer in lockdown, I can see how much our small town in Italy has influenced my work. The colors, the light, the river that runs right outside my window, the mountains in the distance, the peeling paint, cobble stone windy crooked streets, it’s all there.
I have learned in this past year that paining is exactly like life. You don’t start out knowing where you will go, but somehow you find yourself on a path. Do not push too hard or look outward and compare yourself to others, you may stumble. Trust your instincts, allow yourself an open mind to be led where you are supposed to go. Ugly phases arise where you will be frustrated or feel like it is not going to work out, but truly trust yourself and follow your inner voice, in the end you will prevail. I am happy to say that one of my pieces was selected for the London Art Biennale this June 2021 and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
I hope that you will feel the anticipation, the struggle and the joy that is present in each and every piece, that it will bring something beautiful into your life as it does to mine.
Please drop by www.lynettereedart.com to discover more.