In recent fashion, the trend of choosing to wear something that provoked a political statement was unsurpassed. Whether you voted Labour, wanted equality, or encouraged girl power, your style was your voice. Yet this was arguably exclusive to beauty, until REEK perfume pervaded the industry.

 

REEK is a fragrance brand for women, founded and based in Edinburgh by Sarah, and her daughter, Molly. Their motto is “celebrating strong, unapologetic women with perfume”. Referring to their customers as “witches” and “bitches”, the perfumes are fashioned to be included in one’s daily routine; they are a reminder to take a stand to celebrate the talent and lost achievements of talent across all genders. Every spritz is an everyday rebellion.

 

Rebellion is reaffirmed in the imagery on REEK’s website. One image in particular is a composition of women of different ethnicities, clutching the perfume with their jet-black clawed nails, complete with typography of a vivid blood red shade which shouts “Bitches Unite”. The “bitches” and “witches” personas were created from memorialising real women from history. Molly said “The Damn Rebel Bitches scent was named after the formidable females that were around during the Jacobite uprising and the Damn Rebel Witches scent is in honour of all the women burnt on the stake and those who are still vilified for witchcraft today.”

 

The hand-mixed eau de parfums were created in collaboration with the award-winning fashion designer, Stella Mccartney. Just like REEK cares for its potent ethos, they have a priority for care. The brand is cruelty-free and animal products are a no-no. Everything is also sourced ethically, from the bottles that the scents are hand-poured into, to the merch t-shirts.

 

The brand has a lot to speak about, with topics of equality and equity. In particular, a woman’s place throughout history and within the world today. “We work with lots of brilliant creative talent, and all of them are feminists,” says Molly. “By collaborating with people who have the same ethos and actively work towards equality we feel the message is projected through our imagery and art work.”

 

Another topic is body image, and body positivity being promoted. Unlike a lot of beauty brands, REEK celebrate their models by having a policy to leave images unretouched. According to a 2016 survey by Refinery29, 56% of women said seeing body diversity in the media made them feel more content about themselves. REEK’s website keeps to its word by including images of nude women, with stretch marks, freckles and skin discolouration all in their glory. When asked about the future of the brand, Molly said she wants to see it “Making big smelly changes.” Until then, continue to reek of rebellion, meaning something, opposition, and being worthy.

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Visit REEK’s website here.