CONSCIOUS LUXURY
own. “I used my childhood memories and experiences of my travels to be the inspiration for my products,” she said.
In 2012, the idea of ruupa was birthed and with it the first five candles were launched. She eventually increased her soy blended candle offerings from five to 18 scents, and was able to secure a few hospitality accounts that she’s retained to this day.
“In 2017, I officially opened ruupa’s Candle + Fragrance Boutique on Port of Spain’s popular Ariapita Avenue, and extended the Home Fragrance collection to include reed diffusers and linen sprays. Within months, the brand launched its first Bath + Body collection of soaps and lotions, including body oils, body mists and bath bombs, in 12 distinctive scents that reflect our rich
West Indian heritage, while incorporating interesting notes from global influences. The combination of science and art, with good, old-fashioned hand pouring, mixing and filling, is something that drove me to define and strengthen my business even more. For me, it is important to ensure that this Caribbeanborn and-bred brand remains innovative, challenges the status quo, and is of a standard and quality that can hold its own with similar international mid- to high-end products,” Lall shared.
In 2019, to make the operations more efficient and cohesive, she relocated ruupa’s Candle + Fragrance Boutique to Macoya, where the vertically integrated lab and production facility is based. By the time COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, the brand had to quickly adapt in order to respond to customers’ changing needs, purchasing patterns and product preferences. Lall was ready!
“I added two new collections to our portfolio, one of which is our soothing boti-kar-i Aromatherapy Collection. It was important for me to create an exclusive line of fragrances dedicated to helping and supporting us all through these challenging times. The line also provided an opportunity for two amazing collaborations — the first with the iconic Trinidadian fashion designer Meiling, whose loungewear is exclusively available at our boutique, and the second with a local cocoa farmer, offering a divine cocoa wine under our label Santé,” she noted.
In the spirit of entrepreneurship and collaboration, these new collections would become the backbone of things that were to come that year. “By the time the 2020 Christmas season rolled around, a new concept of conscious luxury emerged, as these partnerships allowed us to offer customers a full experience of conscious and intentional choices — scents to create moods and mark special moments, no matter what the occasion,” Lall shared.
More would follow.
In addition to Meiling, ruupa has partnered with local ceramicist Vanessa Dalla Costa to extend the Home Fragrance collection by offering decorative tiles with scented oils, for home or on the go. There’s also a collab with another family business, Smaks, which offers local bespoke teas — a lovely addition to the lifestyle brand. The Home Fragrance collection allows users to transform their living space into a sanctuary. Local designed cotton loungewear, coupled with a wide range of comfortable mattresses, pillows and accessories, afford a close harmonic connection — all available at the Bedquarters showroom in Macoya. It’s all about designing your lifestyle; customcreating what suits you best.
ruupa products are available in-store, online at myruupa.com and at select stockists, including Bedquarters and Spa Essencia at the Hyatt hotel in Port of Spain.
When asked by the Style Observer to describe her clientele Lall opines that they are people who purposefully choose the luxury of quality products. They are grounded, conscious, ambitious people who understand that success is tied to self-care, love, and trying every day to maintain mental well-being and a calm state of mind.