Annie and Therese Gibbons

Alora Ambiance, the fabulous fragrance collection created by sisters Annie and Therese Gibbons, was definitely a family affair from the very start!

Annie had been living in the Lake Como region of Italy for 15 years working in the textile industry when her sister Therese came to stay with her to study Italian. Living in a 150 year-old house they spent long afternoons cooking and adopted two stray dogs. Life was good. And it was about to get even better! While shopping one afternoon they spotted a room fragrance in a tiny local shop that was similar to what would become their signature diffuser. The design was impressive but the scent, well not so much. They fell in love with the design and were attracted to its simplicity and effectiveness. They were confident others would too.

Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug they returned home to the family farm in Minnesota. While the sisters had spent much of their childhood on the farm, neither had spent more than a few days holiday there in many years, but they both knew it was the only place to develop Alora Ambiance. With $50,000 to invest in their business, they set off to secure such obscurities as a steady reed supply – the first batch they cut in the garage with pruning shears. In the early days family and friends were to help with virtually every element of the business. Everyone rolled up their sleeves and together they assembled the first 8,000 diffusers by hand!

More than anyone else, their dad was not only an essential part of the assembly line but key to every element of the company's development. His Midwestern practicality kept them grounded while his unyielding support kept them going. He would leave the girls voice mail messages saying, "I was on your website and you don't have any stores in Phoenix. You girls need to head out there and look for a store." His enthusiasm was limitless but his advice has always been simple: "Just watch out for each other." And they do.

These days Therese and Annie work from different sides of the country - Annie lives in Minneapolis and Therese is in Honolulu but they still run the company as a partnership. Alora Ambiance benefits from their different lifestyles allowing new and varied elements to influence the products. The lush, naturally environment of Hawaii, unsurprisingly, found its way into their fourth fragrance, isola - a blend of tropical tuberose, gardenia, and Italian fig. Working from home, where Therese’s office looks out to a jungle and birds fly in during the day, she can't help but infuse those stimuli into their products. Conversely, Annie works in a huge converted warehouse at their company headquarters in Minneapolis. That they could create a collection of fragrances that seemed perfect in two entirely different environments assured them that the products are suited for any living space.

They are quick to admit that their Midwestern values affect the ambition of the company - to create products that make people feel good but that are also practical. ‘Our customers should always feel they're getting their money's worth from an Alora Ambiance purchase’. They’ve met so many people from all across the country who have told them that when they open their front door it immediately smells like home. For Annie and Therese that's the greatest measure of success.

Annie and Therese’s entrepreneurial dream has infused its way from the rural surroundings of their Minnesota farm to the bright lights of Hollywood. Jennifer Anniston, Sarah Jessica Parker and Courtney Cox are a few in the long list of Hollywood celebs who are fans of the line. These buzz worthy products have also been featured in People, InStyle and Harper’s Bazaar – just to name a few!

Ahh, the sweet smell of success.

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