Garden Scents: This Fragrance Evokes A Floral Dream

Part of Lionel Richie’s home brand, this new perfume leaves an empowering impression

The American singer-songwriter has released HELLO by Lionel Richie Eau de Parfum, a sensual, cocooning fruity fragrance with floral nuances and top notes of pear, lemon, grapefruit, pink pepper and white flower. The launch comes under Lionel Richie Home, an interior brand inspired by the American Idol judge’s travels around the world.

Here we sit down with the Hello singer to discuss music as an inspiration, and his journey into the world of design.

Fragrances are a form of creative self-expression, like music. What are some similarities you have noticed between songwriting and the art of fragrance creation?

I had to realise that fragrances and self-expression are the same as writing music. It is quite similar. With music, there are exactly 12 notes. I can’t experiment in any one direction because there are only 12 notes that I get to work with, but in the fragrance business there are tons of notes.

Putting the right combination together in the right strength makes all the difference in the world. So narrowing my thought pattern down to a few notes that make one particular fragrance is a little bit daunting at first, but then you start realising what note complements another.

Why did you decide to expand to home décor – have you always taken an interest in design?

I have an opinion about the things I have in my home that I want to see every day. I like to be around practical things. And then I realised, wow, there’s a whole world [of design] out there. And that’s how I got involved.

Tell us about the travel inspirations behind Lionel Richie Home. What are some of the cities and memories that you reference through the designs?

I’ve been around the world so many times. It’s hard to even think about it. I’ve probably been in places that just inspired me to see what was over the top. What was elegant, what was beautiful, what was simple, and what was a waste.

So I decided to narrow those prospects down into Lionel Richie Home. What I’m trying to bring to a home are things that you’ll use every day that actually make a difference in your comfort level, in your bedrooms, in your living rooms, where you actually entertain.

Between London, Paris, New York, my home in Alabama, my Southern upbringing, all of those places came into play. I think simplicity is the key to it all and I think that we have achieved it with the first step because people are looking for not so much ‘stuff’, but things they can use that are practical. That is Lionel Richie Home. And this is just the beginning. lionelrichie.com/home-decor/