Meet the Panelists: An Interview with Kelly Jones
On June 6, The World Taste & Smell Association will present Unleash Your Sensory Potential: Smell Edition.This digital panel will explore the phenomenon of synesthesia, the extraordinary blending of senses, and how it can inspire innovative and groundbreaking product opportunities for the modern consumer.
Smell scientist, entrepreneur, and author Avery Gilbert will moderate the panel featuring Ariella Halperin - Founder & Creative Director of Storied Senses, Natalie Kuhles - Founder & President of Artistscent and Kelly Jones - Creator, Founder, and Scent Sommelier of Kelly+Jones.
Stephanie Feuer recently interviewed panelist Kelly Jones, Founder of Kelly + Jones, a wine-themed niche fragrance brand, and K+J Live, an olfactive branding agency creating experiential activations.
SF: How did you get started in the sensory field? What drew you to this work?
KJ: I had a very unconventional entry into the world of fragrance—my career started in the auto industry. I’ve always been a gearhead, and my love for cars led me to an engineering-oriented position at an automaker, designing future vehicles and platform lineups. But in my free time, I’d find myself studying perfumery and mixing a library of essential oils. I finally had an epiphany—sparked by falling blossoms of a cherry tree —that I had to go follow my nose for this passion.
As a child, I was always trekking through the woods and using my nose to discover wonders from the forest floor. I would mix “perfumes” and pair them with watercolor paintings, setting up a table at the end of my parents’ driveway to turn a profit and share my creations. Tuning in to my senses has always been magical and obsessive for me.
SF: Please describe your current work:
KJ: I’m the Founder at Kelly + Jones. We’re a niche fragrance brand creating essences inspired by vineyard and valley. The concept started years ago when I was at a tasting room in Napa. The winemaker declared, “WHO is wearing perfume in my winery?” I was sporting a vanilla fragrance that I’d been working on, and suddenly learned that one should never wear perfume when the nose is in the glass —it can interfere with the bouquet of the wine. But it spurned a great debate, as it was enhancing all the nuances in the glass.
I went home and created my own wine and perfume pairings, finding ways to connect the sensory aspects of the two worlds of wine and perfume. Today, we’re working alongside master sommeliers and winemakers to connect our work, celebrate the senses and teach others how to enjoy the “terroir” of life.
SF: Could you share a memorable sensory experience?
KJ: I’m obsessed with aromas from the automotive world. The synthetic essence of a burning two-stroke engine. Oily spark plugs. Worn vinyl bucket seats. These are the scents of my childhood when I’d join my dad at car shows. We had our own 1932 Model A Ford, and Dad would hand me a bottle of Windex and a muslin cloth, appointing me the director of shiny windows so that we could win the best-in-show trophy. Every time I smell the exhaust of an old vintage car, I go straight back to those special moments.
SF: Many studies say vanilla is a universally favorite scent. What’s one scent you consider essential?
KJ: Vanilla is a primal, lactonic scent linked to our mother, our beginnings. I believe that the answer to this question varies for every person. It’s so dependent on where you grew up. Your family’s traditions. The ingredients you tasted in your favorite homemade dishes. The forest, beach, or field where you played as a child. It’s all about the “terroir” of your earliest memories.
SF: Could you suggest one way people can explore the power of the scent?
KJ: Wine aromas are a wonderful way to tune up your sense of smell. Although it can come off as intimidating to detect and identify aromas from the bouquet in the glass, just let your mind wander and remember that there are no rules. You don’t have to stick to traditional descriptions of wine notes like blackberry, oak or leather. Maybe you detect Play-Doh in the glass, or fresh-cut grass, or your Nana’s anise cookies. Swirl the glass and have fun!
SF: One goal of The World Taste and Smell Association is to elevate our appreciation of our senses of smell and taste. What’s one “hidden power” of smell you think people should be more aware of?
KJ: Scent memories are incredibly powerful and enrich our lives in so many ways. You can integrate a scent into the special moments of your life to make it last forever. It’s etched into the limbic system of the brain for life. The flowers at your wedding. The spices at a special holiday dinner. The exhilarating freshness of your first run down a ski hill. When you have a special moment, link it to a scent. You’ll bottle it in your being forever.
Hear more from Kelly during our webinar, Unleash Your Sensory Potential: Smell Edition
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 11:00 AM 12:00 PM
Tickets are $25 and available here.
