Memo International expanding in France

A Geneva-based business boasting three separate brands – Memo Paris, Floraikü and Hermetica – all of which are experiencing rapid, though carefully controlled growth. In effect, Memo International, founded by John and Clara Molloy, an Irish/Spanish couple, is an impressive sui generis on how to build a dynamic, award winning fragrance company.
 
In October, they opened their debut Paris parfumerie for Floraikü, located at 28 rue Bayard, in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle, and steps away from Avenue Montaigne, the capital’s toniest shopping thoroughfare.While in Saudi Arabia, Floraikü is opening in Harvey Nichols in Riyadh. Memo is also mighty busy with the London shopping emporium, working together to produce a collection called Memo Flying, “with wings on the bottles, that is flying in and out of stores,’ jokes John, of the project that they co-developed with Harvey Nichols, which also retails in London, Kuwait and next in Riyadh.“Building a niche fragrance brand requires a lot of personal appearances for Clara and I. In America, they demand them, so I feel like an Irish politician working a crowd, except I don’t quite have to kiss babies,” said Molloy in a phone call from Frankfurt airport, en route to a key market, Russia, where he will open Floraikü in giant department store Tsum this weekend – with another needed personal appearance. Last week he was in the USA, next week he is in the Gulf.
 
The pair founded Memo a decade ago, Clara as the creative director, and John – who had held executive positions at both Kenzo and L’Oreal – in charge of management.  In Paris, Clara opened Floraikü with a typically elegant perfume ceremony, an olfactive version of a tea ceremony from Japan, an immense influence on the house’s DNA.
 
In effect, Floraikü is their six-star brand and is super exclusive, retailing in 16 countries; with four free-standing and 25 shop-in-shops. Back home in Ireland, Memo and Hermetica retail in his native land’s top luxury store, Brown Thomas and in Dublin airport.
 
Memo is more their flagship brand; noted for its leather fragrances, one of which, Morocco Leather, this June in Paris won a Fifi award, perfume’s top prize. Memo retails in 200 doors worldwide and in 45 countries, with freestanding stores in Paris, opposite Chanel headquarters on rue Cambon and in Jakarta, Gstaad and New York. Elsewhere, its network of 10- to 20 square-meter shop in shops extends from Mexico to Houston; Munich to Berlin.