I am a huge lover of scented candles and I am putting this obsession to use and writing “The Ultimate Candle Guide 2017”. In my research I discovered a new brand which is also geographically local to me, WIFF. I asked founder Claire Winchester to share more about this rather cool home fragrance concept.
Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start Wiff?
I’m Claire Winchester a mum to my 2yr Sophie and wife of Graeme Winchester who is the other half of our home fragrance brand Wiff. First and for most we are a family brand so being able to work alongside raising our daughter, was important to us. We wanted to bring together our unique skill set; mine in art and design and also hypnotherapy and aromatherapy, Graeme’s in web development and my brothers as a graphic designer and utilise them.
So Wiff was born as firstly an idea to create a fun, colourful and contemporary brand that stood out from the crowd in terms of both design and scent. Personally we thought the candle and diffuser market was beginning to smell a little stale. Where was the creativity and the imagination? Our goal was to create something that would stand out among these products and be a modern take on the scented candle.
Can you tell us more about Wiff candles and fragrances and what makes them different?
We started with a plan of action to create five scents that gave people a chance to escape their daily lives and create the ultimate scent experience. We wanted people to really notice us and give them something to shout about. The packaging was just as important to us as the scent. We believe we have created something that appeals to a wider audience, male, female young and old, everyone deserves a touch or “wiff” of luxury. Another aspect we were passionate about was supporting British manufacturing and businesses keeping everything made here in the UK.
I love the brand work you have created for Wiff, could you share how the look and feel came about and how this has been developed?
Thank you; the look and feel of the product was all about being bold, colourful and appealing to the eye; we certainly didn’t want to blend in, hence our name Wiff! The packaging of a product is the first thing you see as a customer and can draw you in, then as our product is to do with smelling good the scent had to match the imagery and vice versa. We spent many hours getting to the designs you see today. I’m proud of our design and our brand identity.
What is most popular fragrances amongst your customers?
This is a really good question because it changes, people tend to buy a certain scent because of certain aspects i.e. the time of year, the way they want what to feel; it’s seasonal and its personal. For instance at the moment Knock on Wood is our top seller because with Autumn fast approaching us people like that this scent evokes the cosy cabin with a roaring fire experience. Around the time of Wimbledon our Game, Set + Match candles and diffusers were the most popular as this reminded them of fresh strawberries, Champagne and the summery tones of sitting out and alfresco eating.
When it comes to your own home and room fragrances what is your favourite and what do you use and where?
I have two firm favourite’s – Hello Sunshine which is our zesty grapefruit scent with subtle undertones of lemon and lime; this is perfect for the bathroom and kitchen keeping that fresh and clean scent in the air without overpowering like plug ins or air fresheners. Also the other scent I love is Bloomin’ Marvellous because I love a scent to transport me and when I close my eyes i imagine myself lazying in a beautiful English Garden smelling the roses and hearing the buzzing of insects.
What are the latest additions to the Wiff range and are you working on anything new that we can look forward to?
We are currently getting our new christmas aroma Sugar + Spice made, this should be available online and in the boutiques we stock from September. It’s a scent of Orange and Cinnamon and really warm and jolly, which is what you want when outside is dark and cold. In future we plan on developing room sprays, travel candles and maybe even cosmetics: the possibility’s are endless!
What has been the biggest challenge so far in getting started?
Our biggest challenge so far has been with timing and balance; we all lead such busy lives these days and it can be tricking when starting something new to still find time for yourself, your family and your interests. Time management, being organised and realistic with goals is key to creating that healthy balance of both work and play. I’m sure we will face many more challenges in the future but it’s good it keeps life from getting stale.
How do people wanting to know more, buy your products or get in touch?
We stock our range in a number of boutique stores; three in Manchester, one in Edinburgh and our latest one in Washington DC, however the easiest way to buy our scents is to visit our website – www.wiff.co.uk. If you’d like to know more about us or want to get in touch you can email us hello@wiff.co.uk
