Press: February 25th: Trouva: An Afternoon with Roullier White Boutique

Thank you to our friends at Trouva for the lovely blog post. Click on the image below to view the post on the Trouva website.

An afternoon with Roullier White boutique

written by Trouva

Roullier White boutique located in the heart of Dulwich is run by founder Lawrence Roullier White. We spoke to him about their vast collection of rare fragrances, Lawrence’s favourite products and the history and stories behind all of their specially sourced items.

1. Can you tell us how Roullier White began and how you have got to where you are today?

We opened in 2005 so this is now our 11th year. I used to work as a consultant for museum shops such as the Natural History Museum, the Royal Academy and the Science Museum and I have carried my passion for the providence of products with me to my boutique.

I started off selling things I really needed that weren’t readily available at the time. We began with items such as white bone china, Egyptian cotton towels and scented candles and over the years grew to stock our own Mrs White’s range and have a fragrance selection. I now visit France a couple of times a year to source unique and remarkable fragrances for the boutique.

The name of the boutique Roullier White is a combination of my Mother’s maiden name (Roullier) and my father’s surname (White). White’s products generally stand for the practical everyday items and Roullier’s for the hard to come by, unique fragrances and products.

2. Who are your favorite designers/makers/artists and innovators of all time?

1.The Madam Rigaud Cypres scented candle is a favourite of mine as it was the first ever scented candle to be made and I love the story behind it. Madam Rigaud owned a fashion boutique on the Champ Des Elysees in Paris and wanted the shop to smell exquisite. Her parents were perfumers and so she created the Rigaud candle that we sell. It was also used by Jackie Kennedy to fragrance the White House!

2.Vivienne Westwood the fashion designer is someone I really admire in terms of her career longevity. She has remained relevant and highly rated over several decades. She creates her work with a lot of integrity and has kept her design ethos while staying current. She is also unashamedly British, which I think is great.

3. I love the Illuminun perfume that Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day. We know the perfumer Michael Bodie and he chose to launch the brand with us three months before the future princess got married. At the time we were the company’s only stockist!

3. What makes you unique as a boutique?

We have the largest selection of rare fragrances in the UK and all our products have a story. We are very careful about what we stock in the shop and try to support smaller industries. For example our throws are made in one of only two mills in Ireland and are extremely unique and beautifully made.

Our Mrs White’s range is based on my Grandma’s original recipes for homemade cleaning solutions. When she was in service in the Second World War she had to make use of ingredients that were readily available so they are all environmentally friendly. We did have to change the beef dripping ingredient in the washing liquid to vegetable and olive oil though! This is now a very sought after product which we sell all of over the world from Germany to Japan.

4. If you could open a store anywhere in the world where would it be?

New York as it is my favourite city.

5. What is special about your current location?

We have a special location where we are because their is such a strong community feeling yet we are so close to the city. There is also so much going on. You travel in one direction and you have lovely Dulwich Village and in the other is the vibrant Peckham.

6. What are your 5 top Roullier White Product Picks?

1. Gruhme Number 14

2. Kaymet Bed Tray

3. Mohair Throw from Ireland

4. Watch Part Cufflinks

Our bestselling product is our Unstung Hero which is made by a family perfumer in the South of France and makes you invisible to mosquitos. Most commercial insect repellent uses Deet which is a toxic repellent substance which was developed originally for soldier in Vietnam. Our Unstung hero uses only non harmful ingredients.

7. How does it feel to be a part of the Trouva community?
It has has a big impact on us and enabled us to find other businesses who share our energy and ethos. The team at Trouva have become an extended part of our team bringing fresh ideas and making us think about things differently.