Behind The Scent: Thirty Years of Oxford & Cambridge
May 2018
Charming lavender-scented Oxford & Cambridge has accompanied important moments in the lives of Czech & Speake’s customers for over thirty years. A powerful enabler of nostalgia, scent is the sense lets you relive that exact emotional experience, that connection, or that moment in life, all over again. Whether you wear Oxford & Cambridge and remember your first love, your child’s first steps, or something else close to your heart, take a look back at the inspiration and memories which have built this lifetime partnership.
To celebrate the scent’s thirtieth birthday, Czech & Speake’s founder Frank Sawkins shares his memories of Oxford & Cambridge and the moments which inspired the scent.
Where does the name 'Oxford & Cambridge' come from?
Czech & Speake’s iconic lavender scent is quintessentially English; an invigorating aromatic fragrance which pays homage to the established English universities of Oxford and Cambridge, seats of learning, classical architecture and British sporting traditions. The most famous of these varsity matches is the boat race, which has taken place each year since 1856. My maternal ancestors held royal warrants to ply their trade on the Thames and so, being drawn to the river, I have watched the boat race every year since I can remember.
What are the main ingredients in Oxford & Cambridge?
A refined blend of English and French lavenders, topped with herbaceous peppermint, rosemary and bergamot on a base note of warm oak moss and sandalwood.
What are the memories behind it?
Oxford & Cambridge draws from memories of wandering through these esteemed colleges, and gaining a snapshot view through ancient doorways to see immaculate quadrangles, with sumptuous lawns and herbaceous borders of lavender rosemary. This was the immediate source of association between English lavender and the Oxford & Cambridge, a great compliment and addition to Czech & Speake.
For many years in my early adulthood, Atkinson’s eau de lavande, created in 1910, was my favourite lavender scent, but the original company close its doors in 1980s. So, in the early 1990s, I decided to produce my own lavender fragrance as a light, fresh cologne for everyday use, a sort of ‘preppy’ cologne. That our customers continue to enjoy the scent after thirty years, is a testament to Oxford & Cambridge’s remarkable timelessness.
What is the inspiration behind its packaging?
Our design is based on the light and dark blue house ‘colours’ of the Oxford and Cambridge universities, using graphic details that reflects traditions and the classicism of these English university cities. The iconic Czech & Speake bottle is handmade using a traditional apothecary blue medicinal glass. Apologies to Cambridge, as we have chosen an alternative light blue…
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