SPOTLIGHT ON SOAPSMITH The artisan bath and body line
In her artisan bath and body line, Sam Jameson captures the melting pot that is London,
From the abstract prints wrapped around the amber-coloured bottles to the evocative fragrances inside, artisan bath and body range Soapsmith has the UK’S capital city running through its aromatic core; the seven evocative scents in the collection are all inspired by areas in London that hold personal meaning for founder Sam Jameson. ‘Smell has an uncanny way of resurrecting memories. The grassy, sharp freshness of Hackney’s rosemary and geranium conjures up the football games played as a teenager with my brother on the wet marshes,’ says Jameson. ‘Brick Lane, with amber and black pepper, is a night out dancing and the spicy kick of a curry.’
Jameson spontaneously changed career after listening to a radio discussion about the UK’S declining luxury manufacturing sector. ‘I loved my job as an events manager, but I was yearning to be more creative, and to make something with my hands,’ says Jameson. ‘I’d dabbled in soapmaking as a student and derived a huge amount of joy from the process, so I thought I’d see if I could turn a fun hobby into a profitable business.’
It took two years of obsessively honing her technique before Jameson felt ready to launch. ‘Cooking soap using the traditional cold process method is an art,’ she explains. ‘It’s a learned skill that needs to be done slowly, mindfully and methodically.’ Formulated with nourishing hydrators, such as olive oil, shea and coconut butter, the cut soaps are wrapped in recyclable paper printed with graphics taken from their namesake locales. ‘If you look closely at the Whitechapel series, there’s a mosaic-like pattern in soft pink, lilac and plum, inspired by the tiles on the East London Mosque.’
As well as soap, Jameson’s team of five make hand & body lotion and wash, and a creamy, coconut milk bath soak, all handcrafted in a Walthamstow studio using organic, vegan and natural ingredients. But it’s Jameson’s signature scents that make the products sing. Camden, for example, has edgy, smokey undertones of bergamot and white musk, to conjure the diverse notes of the market, while Bloomsbury’s elegant, floral blend of primrose, honeysuckle and peony recreates the flower-packed gardens found there. ‘I initially had help with blending from Fragrance House, which creates perfumes for high-end fashion brands, but I’m lucky to have a strong scent memory and consider my own nose to be my best sense!’
Soapsmith is now stocked in Liberty London, Anthropologie and Fortnum & Mason, but the road to success hasn’t been paved with roses. ‘At one point, I had to pawn my engagement ring and sell my car to raise money,’ says Jameson, ‘but I believe that if you want something enough, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices.’
As for her own shopping habits, Jameson tries to support small, independent brands; she likes House of Hackney for home furnishings and stocks up on haircare from Trepadora. ‘I admire anybody with the resilience to launch a business, so I feel like we should help each other out. Trepadora is also run by a Black woman (Keisha Jo Lawler), so that makes me like the products even more!’