There were a couple of pivotal moments that led to the creation of Váhy. Early on in Kate’s career as a corporate lawyer, she discovered that perfumes did not need to disclose their ingredients in most jurisdictions. That then set her on a wormhole of investigation as to why this was, and what was actually in commercial perfumes. What she found was not pretty, with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducting research on this point and finding on average 14 ‘secret’ ingredients are used in fragrances and sometimes more than double that number (see https://www.ewg.org/research/not-so-sexy ). These secret ingredients have been associated with allergies, irritation, hormone disruption, cancer and have not been tested for safety in personal care products. Armed with this information, Kate and Anna made it their priority to find a natural fragrance alternative which was transparent about what was in their products and used premium quality clean ingredients. They searched high and low and when they couldn’t find anything they could substitute for their commercial fragrances without compromising on ingredient quality, sophistication of scent and style, Váhy was born.

Kate: The things that give me the most creative inspiration are travel and the natural environment. I just adore experiencing such stunning landscapes, vibrant cultures, and the interconnectedness of nature. It fuels my creativity and passion and fills my cup with new ideas and perspectives.

Anna: Like Kate, I am often inspired when I’m travelling or in nature. The sights, the smells, the sounds are often great sources of inspiration. At the same time, women leaders that challenge the norm. Whether that be Jane Goodall, Ingrid Newkirk or Greta Thunberg, female movers and shakers are a constant source of motivation.

Kate: Being based between New York and Melbourne, my wardrobe has a dominant note – the colour black. My foundational pieces are a black cardigan that I’ve owned for years but just adore; dark denim long skirt which I can easily dress up or down; tailored pants which are also the perfect hybrid workwear and casual wear pants and a classic white shirt. I also finish off most outfits with my treasured Victoria Tryon necklace that has a pendent of my son’s profile on it.

Anna: I’m ashamed to say, activewear is a key part of my wardrobe! I am definitely one that leans into comfort more and more these days. I have quite the collection of Stella McCartney shoes, which have all been on high rotation for many, many years (they’re leather free!). I always try and support sustainable, conscious brands. Otherwise, you will often find me in beautiful, relaxed linens, white tees or tanks, and the staple items to many, being a great pair of black jeans and a well-cut blazer.

Kate: Oh, I have so many! I love people that can pull together that effortless chic look well like Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Margaret Zhang and Georgia Fowler.

Anna: Stella McCartney has always been an icon to me. She goes against the grain, challenges the norm and pushes the boundaries of the fashion industry with her material innovation. I also love Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s style.

She’s a woman who adores life’s little luxuries. She has refined taste, appreciates fine craftsmanship and has an affinity for high quality items. While her discerning eye draws her to sophistication and elegance, she is also someone who cares deeply about the world we live in. She will always pick a product that is better for the earth and better for her body when the quality and sophistication of the choices are like for like. She’s aware that purchasing is voting with your feet on the kind of world we leave to our next generations.

In terms of style, she surrounds herself by brands that meet her ethos of exceptional quality artistry coupled with a sustainability focus. She tends towards a quiet luxury approach and minimalism over overt displays of opulence. Her style focuses on the intrinsic quality, craftsmanship, and thoughtfulness behind the design and creation of each item.

Ingredient disclosure! In the industry you don’t have disclose the chemicals in ‘fragrance’ and this can be thousands of different chemicals which are often harmful for health. If your perfume does not disclose its full list of ingredients, you should not use it. On average there is over 25 ingredients contained within ‘fragrance’ alone (and this can be over 50). If you only see a couple of ingredients on the ingredient list, then it is very likely you are not receiving full ingredient disclosure. In a perfect world the laws would be there to protect consumers, however until this happens, we hope that it becomes common practice that consumers demand to know what’s in the products they apply on their bodies.

In short, paramount! Especially when sourcing natural ingredients, every ingredient must be carefully and traceably sourced to avoid the devastating effects of over harvesting. Every ingredient used in Vahy products is curated to ensure it is of the highest quality, sustainably sourced, organic when possible and the environmental impact of its harvest is minimised. We partner with the world’s most innovative farms, scent artisans and co-operatives to curate and produce our fine fragrances, with our ingredients sourced exclusively from providers that are certified by UEBT (Union for Ethical BioTrade) and Fairtrade International, amongst other good agricultural practice certifications. For example, sandalwood is a high-risk ingredient due to the devastating impact of over harvesting. Our sandalwood comes from a local Australian Aboriginal co-op who sustainably farm, planting 30% more trees than they harvest every year with 16 years of mixed generation trees currently growing. Further, the farm relies on green energy practices and 75% of the water used is recycled. But the best part? Goats are used (ethically, of course!) to maintain the weeds and overgrowth on the plantation to ensure it can remain pesticide free.

Kate: Life is a juggle and as you get older there will be more balls in the air. However, always know which balls are made of rubber and which balls are made of glass. Some can be dropped and picked up later and others you won’t receive a second chance at. This has had so many applications in my life when it comes to work, family life, competing passions and trying to give myself grace when overwhelm hits and a ball drops.

Anna: Love Kate’s so much, I’m stealing it! But otherwise, it is often quite cliché, but living in the moment has become more and more of a focus for me in recent times. Prioritising things that bring me joy, rather than becoming bogged down in work and other less-important things. I have a fear that when I am very old, I will look back on my life and regret not doing more for me, living in the moment more, and saying yes to things you wouldn’t ordinarily say yes to. I hope I’ll reflect and remember the travel, the moments, the fun, rather than ticking off my work to-do list.

Learn more about Vahy here.