No products in the cart.
An interview with Nisha Jose
Editor’s Note: This interview was developed in collaboration with Niche Show London. LUXYORA retained editorial responsibility for the questions, presentation and final publication, while the views expressed remain those of the interviewee. No payment was received for this editorial feature.
Lee Martin is the founder of Niche Show London, a premier exhibition specifically dedicated to the niche fragrance and perfume industry.
His motivation for creating the show was fueled by a lifelong passion for scents inherited from his mother, with whom he would explore fragrances as a young boy, sparking his imagination. Martin’s vision for the event is to redefine the traditional trade show by offering an art-gallery environment at venues such as the Mall Galleries, allowing industry professionals and enthusiasts to engage with fragrance in a calm, immersive setting. By establishing this “marker” in the industry calendar, he aims to support brands in their growth by connecting them with the right partners, buyers, and distributors.
In addition to his work in the perfume world, Martin is a highly accomplished senior leader with a significant background in the consumer goods industry. He has worked with prestigious luxury brands such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Byredo, as well as being the managing director of Slick Gorilla. Operating through his firm, 337 Consulting, Martin applies his expertise in creating unique connection narratives and scalable strategies to help both emerging and established brands thrive. His career is characterised by a “mischievous” self-taught approach to branding, where he pushes the boundaries of brands’ capabilities to foster deep, memorable connections between founders and their audiences.
In this exclusive interview, Lee Martin opens up about Niche Show London, reflecting on how a lifelong passion for scent evolved into a strategic mission to leave a lasting mark on the London industry calendar. Drawing on his extensive background in commercial awareness and luxury branding, he shares his vision for a refined, art-gallery-style environment designed to support the growth of global niche fragrance labels through meaningful professional connections and immersive sensory experiences.
I have always had a deep passion for fragrances, which I inherited from my mother, who was a collectors back when the industry was a lot more narrow. Believe it or not, she still has some unopened bottles she has kept for over 30 years.
Niche Show was born partly from that passion plus the drive within me to start something from scratch. A lot of people, of course, in today’s world want to start a brand or launch a product; I looked at things from a different angle and said, what isn’t currently there but really should be?
The answer to this question was a fragrance show in London, one of the world’s leading capital cities.
The traditional format for a trade show is to maximise every sqft of the available space, pushing as many brands into a quite generic space and then building around that to hopefully get a nice end result. I wanted to flip this and start with an environment that lends towards the focus; fragrance is an art form, so what better environment than an art gallery.
In addition, our curation allows for a strong experience for our visitors; there isn’t an aspect of having to fill the show. Instead, we look to get the right number of brands that can each tell a different story, and since launching, we have had to say no to more brands looking to exhibit than we have said yes to, purely because we want to keep the brand selection right.
All brands have different objectives; networking gives everyone the best opportunity to create the path to meeting those objectives. At Niche Show, you have no idea who you will meet or bump into, and that is the beauty of it.
A key thing looking toward growth is that brands need to invest; they need to be present at exhibitions and shows as growth takes effort from all angles. The times when an email or LinkedIn message is likely to be responded to are unfortunately in the past, so having an opportunity to connect face to face is now even more valuable and the best opportunity to create a platform for growth.
It is really important that our exhibitors have an opportunity to explore connections from all angles; this includes both the B2B & B2C visitors. Having dedicated days allows everyone more opportunity to engage without overcrowding, rushing or interference.
A key element of the show is also the visitor experience, and the 2 days allow them more freedom to enjoy the show at their own pace. Niche Show will never be a heavy-traffic environment, as I have been and experienced shows with too much visitor traffic, and it just isn’t something I believe will add any value at Niche Show.
We have to provide the visitor with a unique experience, and for me this means having different facets to the show. I always look at the audience and put myself in their shoes. Any fragrance fans have something in their collection, no matter how big or small, that, for whatever reason, they don’t use anymore.
So we decided to add a swap shop to meet that need, and go further, as they could then connect with others within the community. Plus it allows for a more sustainable approach, which has wider benefits.
We saw a lot of different brands swapped, including: Roja Dove, Xerjoff, Fragrance Du Bois, Nasomatto and many more.
At Niche Show, we are constantly looking to evolve and innovate; we have had so many brainstorming sessions on how far we can push fragrance and in how many directions.
A key part will be the global community; we have built a strong connection to the UK community, which we believe leads the way internationally. Now we want to expand that globally, connecting with fragrance communities all around the globe. Together with unearthing brands from different corners and continents to really reinforce and expose what niche fragrance is and means across the world.
I see a future where the next Ex Nihilo, Borntostandout, or Lorenzo Pazzaglia are unearthed at Niche Show London, and I believe we give both brands and businesses the opportunity to make that happen.
Stay inspired with exclusive brand features, luxury insights, and the latest in fine fashion and beauty — directly in your inbox.
