THE founders of Essence of Harris, a fast-growing luxury Scottish candle and home living company, will be heading across the Atlantic this weekend to showcase their products to the US market for the first time.
Husband-and-wife team Jamie and Deenie McGowan, who draw inspiration for their range of products from their remote home on the Isle of Harris, are heading to New York to attend NY Now – one of the largest home, lifestyle and gift trade shows in the US.
The company will be showcasing its unique range, including soy wax candles, reed diffusers and home fragrance products, all of which have been carefully developed to be as local, sustainable and natural as possible.
The business is also committed to creating local jobs, and has so far grown to employ 26 staff on the island.
Jamie will be modelling a kilt made from the company’s bespoke tartan that has been designed using the GPS location of the firm’s base in Tarbert, and has inspired a full range of Harris tartan lifestyle products that will be launched at the show.
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He said: “Five years after founding the business, the launch of our products in the USA marks another key milestone in its development, enabling us not only to take our hand-crafted candles and home fragrances to a new market, but also to tell the story of our island home to buyers in New York.
“Knowing how Americans love the Scottish Isles, we expect them to relate to the provenance and quality of our range. The NY NOW trade show is an epicentre for innovative, design-led brands and we are proud that carefully crafted products from the Outer Hebrides will play a part in the winter show.”
Stewart Roxburgh from Scottish Enterprise said it is “always pleasing to see a company prepare and launch new products” in the ever-growing wellness market, and that the company is “utilising the purest elements and subtle, herbal scents to craft a stunning collection of products that truly celebrate Scotland’s natural heritage and offers a glimpse into life on the remote and rugged Western Isles”.
He added: “I am delighted that Essence of Harris is set to launch in the US market for the very first time and I know that US customers will not be disappointed.”
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