Backstory | Maya Njie on Maya Njie Perfumes

Maya Njie Perfumes is a niche perfume brand founded by Swedish Gambian, Maya Njie in 2016. An old family album and a lifelong interest in the olfactory led to her experimenting with scent for her photography and surface design studies at University of Arts London. Her aim was to communicate her work through the medium of scent and the photos from the old family album was her starting point. She began to try to capture what each of the memories captured in the photos smelt like.

Following her graduation she continued to experiment with the olfactory, experimenting with raw materials and she taught herself perfumery. This led to her launching her niche perfume brand, Maya Njie in 2016. Focusing on high quality artisanal blends with scents rooted in her Swedish and Gambian ethnicity.

With all blends made in house in small batches using resins, essential oils and aroma compounds, Maya Njie perfumes are hand bottled in packaging as designed by Maya Njie and inspired by the colour extracted from the old family photos. The vegan and cruelty free contemporary perfumes reconstruct the elusive moments captured in the old photographs. The tones of the perfumes reflect the times in the photos and the accords are nostalgic.

I was honoured to speak to Maya about her perfume brand. Please read on for the conversation.

1. Hello Maya it is pleasure to interview you for Story Magazine. Congratulations on your brand. You launched your line in 2016 and are self taught. Tell us a bit about yourself, the creation of your brand and how it came to pass.

I was born in Sweden and grew up in a small industrial city on the outskirts of Stockholm. My dad was Gambian and my mother Swedish and so I experienced a mix of influences from both cultures whilst at home. Growing up I was a very ‘nosy’ child with a passion for the finer smelling things in life which I would collect wherever I could. 

Moving to London was a desire of mine as I entered my teens and I relocated here shortly after turning 19 – It was a place bursting with both art and music and that was the big draw for me at the time. 

When I became a mother, it brought on a desire for change in my direction of work. I started studying Surface Design at the University of the Arts and worked visually within print, pattern, and photography. Having always been drawn in by scent I veered towards multi-sensory expression, combining visual design, photography, and olfaction. My old family photo album from the 1970’s was my starting point and it went on from there.

2. Your ethnicity is Swedish and Gambian. How have both of these inspired your perfume line?

The aesthetic of the brand is definitely Scandinavian in its simplicity and direct communication. I believe that the personal photographs that are part of the visual fragrance narrative tell a story on their own that points towards mixed influences and backgrounds. 

The typical Swedish backdrop is visible and further enhanced by the West African heritage and influences. I love Cedarwood and use it a lot, that combined with Cardamom and Vanilla is very Swedish. Tobak is the one fragrance that reminds me of both my granddad growing up but also Gambia and its wood and leather craft markets. Tobak covers a lot of ground for me in that way. Tropica is my reminiscent of the beaches of The Gambia; sea salt, oily skin, sunscreen and fizzy drinks.

3. What makes a good perfume? Tell us the process to create a memorable scent.

 I guess technically both scent and fragrance are smells that are emitted naturally from humans, animals, nature and objects. Whereas perfume is a scent that has been constructed  and intentionally applied. So ultimately for me it’s how I choose to smell in harmony with how I smell naturally. A conscious choice that gives me what I seek in that moment. 

I love working on new fragrance ideas and experimenting with ingredients. Taking photos and working with colour is always a lot of fun. I also love packaging design and exploring different avenues. Multi sensory projects often contain all of the above and I get to do a bit of everything.

4. What is inspiring your work currently?

I have a new scent I am working on as well as prepping for a couple of exciting new launches with retailers. All will be revealed in due time.

5. Your niche brand is gender neutral. Tell us about this. Why was this important to you?

I have no preconceived notion of who you are, what you should be or what you like based on your gender. Fragrance is like colour in many ways, if you like it, wear it and if it divides opinion, well that’s subjective. 

6. What has been your favourite Maya Njie perfume thus far and why? Which would you recommend to our readers?

I tend to gravitate the most towards Nordic Cedar, it’s the first fragrance I formulated and layered some of my favourite raw materials like Cedarwood, Cardamon, Patchouli and Musk. Tobak is the one fragrance that reminds me of both my granddad growing up but also Gambia and its farmers and wood and leather craftmarkets. Tobak covers a lot of ground for me in that way. Tropica is reminiscent of the beaches of The Gambia; sea salt, oily skin, sunscreen and fizzy drinks. 

That said, Nordic Cedar is my historic best seller.

7. One thing you want people to know about your brand?

Scent is such an important part of how we relate to our own personal nostalgia. Our memory does this subconsciously, scent can trigger a memory better than any other sense could, for the good and the bad. For me it’s been about recreating a familiar experience and elevating through scent, but also interpreting what I think it could be or would have been in certain instances.

Also, every touch point of my brand that you see is done by hand. From the blending of the fragrances, packaging the boxes to my Instagram. It’s very much me behind it. 

8. ‘Tropica’ was your highest selling perfume in 2020. Tell us a bit about this perfume and why you think it was perfect during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I assume it’s because of the idea of escape that it embodies. Imagine trading in a dark, bleak and cold setting for a warmer climate far away, with flourishing green vegetation and remote beaches. Where the pace is different, life is simple and dancing is part of everyday – that’s what Tropicaevokes and in a time where the physical act of getting away has not been possible I can see why it has appealed to many.

9. Maya Njie Perfumes are synonymous with? 

Simplicity. Vibrancy, Nostalgia. Modernity

 Many kind thanks to Maya Njie for this wonderful interview. Her answers and work are a revelation.

More on Maya Njie Perfumes here.