SimplyAbuDhabi XLVII

Our 3 Questions for Jo Malone Simply Abu Dhabi: Welcome to the UAE! How has it been for you, moving from the UK to Dubai? Jo Malone: It is probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life! My husband, Gaz, and I arrived in 2021 and had intended to stay at a hotel for a month, but we’ve never left! My day-to-day life here is so full, from my work to doing pool Pilates and evening sessions of Rummikub with Gaz. And the beaches and garden give me so much inspiration for my fragrances. You’ve been very open about battling – and surviving – cancer. One thing people may not know is that as a result of your treatment, you lost your sense of smell – the very thing that had established your remarkable career. Could you talk to us a bit about that? I felt very confused, like I had lost my identity. I felt my personality had been ripped out of me. Who was I if I couldn’t smell fragrances? That’s when I stepped back from the company, which had been purchased by Estée Lauder. And a month later, my sense of smell returned – full on, overnight. Your current business, Jo Loves, is a successful luxury fragrance brand too. What’s next for you? I have plans to announce a new business venture – nothing to do with fragrance – that will launch this year, and but I’ll always stay on to work with Jo Loves in some capacity - I’m never going to leave her! 160 | Simply Abu Dhabi