Stella McCartney set to launch second scent, L.I.L.Y

'It comes from my dad’s nickname for my mum: ‘Linda I love you,’ said Stella. The scent is a departure from the classic rose of her debut fragrance. It has some more unusual notes like truffle and oak moss, alongside classic Lily of the Valley.

'The name is also from the Lily of the Valley ingredient — I love it as a flower, and so did my mum — it’s delicate, feminine, innocent. It was part of my bridal bouquet. But I also wanted to explore its darker, more masculine side. It’s a woodland flower and I wanted to capture the roots and the earthy side of it,' she said.

The oak moss plays a key part in achieving that 'earthy' aroma. 'You can’t grow moss — you can’t plant it unless it wants to grow,' explains Stella. 'I find that quite sexy and sinister, to contrast with the Lily of the Valley.'

Stella worked with master perfumer Jacques Cavallier on the daunting job of creating her signature scent, STELLA, but he had a whole new challenge when the designer called on him to help develop L.I.L.Y.

'The truffle was unusual, but I said OK to Stella. We used natural extract of truffle, and I actually told the suppliers we were working with that the extract was for a restaurant! I didn’t want to let people know what we were doing,' explained Cavallier.

So, why the truffle? It's a favourite food of the designer, who quipped that Cavallier should be thankful she didn't ask for Brussels sprouts or cabbage notes.

Despite crafting a popular scent, and with a second on the way, McCartney admits 'I don’t wear a great deal of perfume. I find it too overwhelming. This fragrance is very much about trying to leave the woman who wears it a bit of self-expression. I wanted it very pure and uncomplicated,' she said. 'It's about a girl becoming a woman. It’s an early spring morning, crisp air