I met Marjorie Kitzrow, founder of Marjorie Midgarden Fragrances and creator of Summersent perfume, in 2006 when she was caught up in the excitement of launching her fragrance. I was so intrigued by her story that I wrote it up for the magazine I worked for at the time and will tell you about here, in a nutshell: Marjorie, who had a career in brand marketing, learned about a flower with an amazing fragrance, sought it out, smelled it for herself, and decided it had to be captured (or, perhaps, released) in a perfume. With no previous experience in the fragrance industry, she sought out great advice and resources and got her perfume made and to market.
Today Summersent can be found in a number of department stores including select Von Maur locations, Liberty of London and Takashimaya New York. You can read an in-depth review of the fragrance, here. My own initial reaction to Summersent was that it seemed somehow familiar, like a sweet memory from the past that I couldn't quite put my finger on. According to Marjorie, that's a common response.
I hadn't seen Marjorie for about a year, but we met for lunch in Chicago last Friday and she was excited and full of plans for the Summersent brand. In just a few short years, her second career has taken her places and presented opportunities and challenges that I'm guessing she never dreamed she would experience, and she seems to have taken it - is still taking it - all in stride. I'll be watching to see where it takes her next, and I wish her a fabulous journey.
