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The Cover Story Couture · Fragrance · Life London

Chandrika

Hillman Designer · Artisan · Perfumer
The Feature

A Love Story Still Unfolding

Once a child without a voice, Chandrika found hers through the beauty of nature, the kindness of others and the lessons life revealed along the way. An unknown seed, nurtured by every experience, has blossomed into a journey that continues to flourish and evolve.

Prologue

Beginnings

Long before the couture house and the fragrances, there was a girl who made what she could not have.

Chandrika Thomas fragrance portrait, eyes closed, holding a perfume bottle
No. 01

A needle from a sweeper

Her first tool was one she had to invent.

A

s a young girl, Chandrika wished for a doll of her own. With none to receive and no proper tools to make one, she drew a single bristle from a sweeper, pierced a tiny eye into it, and carefully stitched her first doll from pieces of felt. In that moment, she discovered a truth that would shape her life: when you have nothing, you create.

“When you have nothing, you create.”

No. 02

A Will of Her Own

What she was told

She would never get far in life.

What she chose

Her future was hers to create.

A

s a child, Chandrika was told that being a woman, and an Asian woman, meant she would never get far in life. But she refused to accept those words as truth. She saw a world of possibilities beyond the limitations others placed upon her and was determined to discover them for herself.

Those early experiences shaped her fierce independence, her uncompromising standards and her determination to follow her own path. She would never wait for the world to give her permission. Her future was hers to create.

A picnic among wildflowers and olive trees at sunset
AboveNature was her first teacher: birdsong, seasons, and the scent of open fields.
No. 03

The world through her senses

Every scent she has made began as a memory.

While others saw limitations, Chandrika found a world filled with wonder. She sought solace in nature, spending hours among animals, listening to birdsong and observing the rhythm of the changing seasons. Every fragrance, texture and sound became etched into her memory, nurturing an imagination that would one day transform places, memories and emotions into fragrance.

No. 04 · Someone who believed

“You can do anything in the world. You are clever, don’t listen to them.”

Mr. AllmanSociology teacher, and the turning point

Due to her Dyslexia and ADHD, education presented many challenges for Chandrika, but everything changed when she met her Sociology teacher, Mr. Allman. While others underestimated her, he saw remarkable potential. “You can do anything in the world. You are clever, don’t listen to them,” he told her. His belief in her became the foundation upon which she built her confidence and, ultimately, her future.

Hands hand-stitching lace in the atelier
The atelierLace, thread and pins: the discipline behind every piece.
No. 05

Learning from a Master Couturière

Craftsmanship measured in precision and patience.

Under the guidance of Maria Fidalgo, a couturière who had worked with Dior and Chanel, Chandrika was introduced to a world where craftsmanship was measured by precision and patience. Determined to master every detail, she dedicated herself to learning the craft from the ground up. Those enduring principles of discipline, refinement and exceptional attention to detail continue to shape every creation today.

Part I

Couture

From a quarter-page advert to a couture house, and a new chapter in fragrance.

No. 06

The First Opportunity

At eighteen, Chandrika received her first marketing grant from The Prince’s Trust, not just financial support, but a belief in her potential. With the grant, she placed her first advertisement in The Prince’s Trust Business Directory; a small quarter-page advert that brought her first clients and marked the beginning of her couture dress business. From that modest beginning, Chandrika continued to invest in growing her presence through leading lifestyle publications, expanding from smaller advertisements to national campaigns, including prestigious right-hand-page placements in Condé Nast and Nat Mags publications.

No. 07

The Next Step

Creating a formal business plan was a journey that took Chandrika several years. Due to her dyslexia and ADHD, translating her creative vision into a traditional business format was a significant challenge. With the help of a close friend, who helped her structure and bring her ideas together, she was finally able to complete her plan. This led to further funding and invaluable mentorship from The Prince’s Trust, whose continued support helped Chandrika grow her couture business into an established house.

A bride in a lace couture gown with a long train, seated on a chaise

Every gown carried her personal touch.

No. 08 · The Couture House

A Couture House

DesignerArtisanManufacturerCurator

From a single vision, Chandrika created a couture wedding house built on artistry and passion. She became the designer, artisan, manufacturer and curator behind every wedding dress, ensuring that each collection carried her personal touch. As her reputation grew, her designs found their place in boutiques across the country, admired for their exquisite craftsmanship and timeless sophistication.

No. 09

A New Chapter

Couture and fragrance, she says, were always the same craft.

F

ollowing over two decades of success in couture, Chandrika made a pivotal transition into fragrance, inspired by her love of nature, her study of life and her belief in the importance of balance and wellbeing. While some saw the pivot from couture to fragrance as a completely different path, Chandrika saw the connection clearly, both were rooted in creativity, craftsmanship and the art of creating something meaningful.

Over four years, she developed twelve exceptional fragrances, refining each scent alongside industry experts while also personally designing and handcrafting the signature packaging that brought her vision to life.

20+ Years in couture
4 Years in development
12 Fragrances
Chandrika Thomas perfumes in a pink gift box with ribbon
The collectionSignature packaging, designed and handcrafted by Chandrika.
No. 10

A Fragrance House is Born

After years of passion, patience and meticulous craftsmanship, Chandrika Thomas Fragrances was brought to life. Every scent was personally composed by Chandrika, drawing inspiration from treasured memories, distant places, nature and the emotions held within them. Through a harmonious blend of artistry and craftsmanship, she created a collection of timeless fragrances that redefine the experience of everyday luxury.

Shop the story

The Fragrance Collection

Twelve scents, each composed by Chandrika. Every full-size perfume comes gift-wrapped with a complimentary 15ml.

Discover — The Fragrance Collection
Part II

Fragrance

The same hands, a new medium: scent composed like couture.

No. 11

The Art of Her Process

Nothing is beyond her attention.

From the little girl who fashioned a needle from a sweeper to the woman behind her own fragrance house, Chandrika has always believed in learning through doing. That same curiosity and determination guide every aspect of her business, from the smallest decisions to the grandest visions. Nothing is beyond her attention, and if something falls short of her standards, she is never afraid to begin again. For Chandrika, excellence lies not only in what the world sees, but in the countless details it never will.

She is never afraid to begin again.

On her standards
Orchid display at the Hampton Court Flower Show

Orchids suspended upside down: her first outdoor presentation.

Hampton Court Flower Show

The First Flower Show

At the Hampton Court Flower Show, Chandrika stepped into a new chapter with her first outdoor presentation. Inspired by nature’s beauty, she created a striking display of orchids suspended upside down, an unconventional expression of creativity that reflected the spirit of her fragrances. That moment represented more than a launch; it was the first step in sharing her vision of fragrance with the world.

No. 13

Strength in Diversity

Inspired by the diversity found throughout nature, Chandrika believes the same beauty exists within humanity. She has always embraced equality and inclusion, celebrating people from every background and recognising that our differences are what create a more vibrant, meaningful and beautiful world.

Marrakesh Body Lotion and Body Wash bottles on marble with a candle
NewMarrakesh Body Wash and Body Lotion.
No. 14

Still Becoming

The newest chapter is also the most personal.

The launch of the Marrakesh Body Wash and Body Lotion marks the evolution of Chandrika Thomas into a luxury lifestyle brand, but the most meaningful transformation has always been personal. Through every challenge, she has grown stronger; through every lesson, she has found gratitude. Today, she carries forward a vision built on creativity, equality and the belief that every dream begins with the courage to believe it is possible.

Shop the story

Marrakesh

Body Wash and Body Lotion: the first step into the Chandrika Thomas lifestyle collection.

Shop Marrakesh — Marrakesh
No. 15

A Vision Without Compromise

Rather than settle for what existed.

For years, Chandrika searched for refillable fragrance bottles that would unite her commitment to sustainability with her love of artistry and craftsmanship. Yet nothing she discovered truly reflected her vision. Rather than settle for what existed, she embarked on a journey to develop her own, working alongside specialist partners to bring her ideas to life. Another expression of a principle she has carried since childhood: when something does not exist, find a way to create it.

“When something does not exist, find a way to create it.”
A principle carried since childhood  · See No. 01
Part III

Becoming

New ideas to explore, new possibilities to discover, and more chapters yet to be written.

No. 16

The Journey Continues

For Chandrika, inspiration knows no boundaries.

For Chandrika, inspiration knows no boundaries. Her curiosity continues to lead her towards new fragrances, artwork, refined packaging, innovative body care and lifestyle pieces, all guided by a desire to elevate everyday living. Every piece she creates reflects the beauty, pleasure and sense of occasion she seeks in her own life and wishes to share with others. Her vision continues to evolve, with new ideas to explore, new possibilities to discover and more chapters yet to be written.

Closing

C

handrika has always walked her own path. In recent years, she has carried a burden known only to a few, one that has tested her strength and deepened her resilience. Through it all, she has learned to protect what matters most, surrounded by a small circle of people who hold her heart as carefully as she does.

Her story is hers to tell, each chapter shaped by the choices she makes, the lessons she carries and the life she continues to embrace.

Some chapters have brought joy, others have demanded courage, yet none has diminished her curiosity or her desire to explore the beauty of what lies ahead. She continues to play, discover and evolve, knowing that no single chapter can define the whole of her life.

“I have a beginning, a middle and an ending, and yet my story still continues.”

— Chandrika Hillman

Continue the story

Shop the house
FragrancesThe CollectionTwelve scents drawn from memories, places and nature.Explore
DiscoveryFind Your ScentBegin with the fragrance that speaks to you.Discover
MarrakeshBody CareBody Wash and Body Lotion for an everyday ritual.Shop now
Chandrika Hillman · London Couture · Fragrance · Life