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Susanne Langmuir
Whether it’s her passion for travelling or her uber successful custom fragrance line, ‘O’ Magazine darling Susanne Langmuir has always found herself off the beaten path. And that’s exactly where she likes to be!
Growing up in Toronto, Susanne loved perfume and cosmetics as much as the next 10 year-old but what she really dreamed of doing was seeing the world. Bitten with the travel bug, Susanne’s first stop was Peru at the age of 18 and she spent the next 10 years continuing to pursue her love of globe trotting.
Long before she had any inclination she would become a perfume designer, Susanne found collecting fragrances and other aromatics was more of an anchor to the memories of her trips than the usual fare of t-shirts and knick-knacks. Discovering a love for aromatherapy created a new reason to travel and meeting growers and producers became new motivation to see the world.
Susanne had always been an entrepreneur at heart. She first set up shop in the form of kiosks at malls in both Toronto and Vancouver. She sold leather, silver and other goods she imported from various countries she had visited. She ultimately decided to follow her nose and her gut and committed fully to selling aromatherapy. Her passion gave way to profits and she began designing and creating formulations for a successful brand called Garden Angel that retailed to over 5000 stores.
While Susanne was familiar with the challenges faced by a young entrepreneur her real test was getting behind a product that she believed in. The David and Goliath dynamic of a boutique perfume designer competing with the Estee Lauders and Gucci’s of the world could be a daunting task. However, the bigger budgets, celebrity endorsements and huge market dollars behind the large fragrance companies didn’t deter Susanne. She knew there was a market for a fragrance that was less commercial, more subtle, and pure but taking the leap still required courage. After spending 2 years developing her own line and saving all her pennies from the success of Garden Angel (not to mention the traditional financing route of begging and borrowing) Susanne was poised to open her first retail store in the upper crust community of Rosedale in Toronto. That day was a dream come true! However one of her biggest triumphs also gave way to one of her biggest challenges - in the form of a massive flood. The extensive damage to the plumbing warranted by the landlord was never repaired. Pregnant with her second child, Susanne was forced to move six weeks later due to the sour sewage smell that now plagued her beautiful perfume store. “Do I really want to start from scratch” was a question she struggled with for a time - but start again she did, now this time with the attitude that ‘as bad as it gets, there is always a way to do it!’
Armed with a renewed faith and the awareness that the ‘bumps’ will never go away, Susanne was once again open for business. Turning that corner she also discovered the realization that there will always be something. “Starting a business is similar to raising children. Each stage brings its new joys and challenges and there is always a transition – and that is a good thing! It’s always harder than you think but it’s part of the path.” Even for an optimist like Susanne.
Six years later, Susanne continues to forge new territories. Designing an amenity line for boutique hotels and large chains, and new distribution in the Middle East are but a few things on the horizon!
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