Meet Maurice Locke and Bhavika Mistry of Osme Perfumery in Wynwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maurice Locke and Bhavika Mistry.

The owners of OSME, Maurice Locke and Bhavika Mistry come from very different backgrounds. Maurice grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Bhavika in Bradford, England, and then moved to South Florida at a young age. They met many years ago, and found that one of the many things they had in common was their love for scent, and how it can evoke so many feelings, and memories. Maurice and Bhavika became avid collectors of fragrances, and that passion led them to open Osme. They’d been to perfumeries in New York, and London where they were given the opportunity to explore scents in a new way. They found being able to walk into a store and browse for scents the way you do in clothing boutiques was amazing. Scents are such a personal thing, and letting people experience an olfactory journey like this was not available in the city they spent so much of our formative years. After working in other industries, they wanted to bring that experience to Miami, because for a city as unique this, a new concept and way of smelling would be a perfect fit. This is how Osme was born.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way but nothing that has hampered us from our goal of opening Osme. The struggles relate more to being new to opening up a business. Little things like how to obtain licenses, permits, and logistics were what I would call the “growing pains” but again it’s nothing we didn’t figure out. We both come from a business background so I definitely feel that gave us an advantage in helping to get the business up and running.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Osme Perfumery – what should we know?
OSME creates an interactive learning and shopping experience for niche perfume lovers, and neophytes to the industry with the all-inclusive set of product lines. Our store lets the customer experience the products which evoke their olfactory senses, memories, and let them form their own connection to the fragrance they choose. The overall product lines will provide clients with the next new thing that is exclusive and unique.

In Wynwood where there is such a visual experience for visitors and shoppers, we wanted to create a sensory gallery for our discerning consumers through what we like to call “liquid art”. We’ve curated a collection of niche perfume lines from all around the world and our shopping environment is one where you can take up anything, move it around, smell, take notes, and experience the scents in your own space. We also provide personal attention to our shoppers by consulting them on what they like, where, and why they would want to purchase a particular fragrance. We also include an arrange of home fragrance products, scented décor, apothecary items such as natural skincare, and men’s grooming products.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think the most important thing to our success is knowledge. We’ve had so many customers who have learnt so much about the history of perfume, how it interacts with them, what notes they might like. For us know keep abreast of what’s changing in the industry and then being able to impart that onto our customers is priceless. We recently had a Spanish perfumer come to our store to teach a master class on perfumery and it was a great success. It’s something that’s not found in Miami often, and it’s important to us that we bring that knowledge to our already vibrant culture.

Pricing:

• All items are niche brands, however we have curated products that fit all price ranges. We have products in the store starting at $35 all the way up to $600. So there is something for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Address: 50 NW 24th St, Suite 111, Miami, FL 33127
• Website: www.osmeperfumery.com
• Phone: 786-409-4732
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Azeez Bakare Studios

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