Fashion Buying Director turned Candle-maker

Jamie Briggs, Founder and Candle-maker, ‘Oh, James…’

This interview is with Jamie Briggs, a London-based Californian with a gorgeous candle brand ‘Oh, James…’.

Jamie is the founder and candle-maker (and everything else involved in running a small business).

I love his candles, the quality, the smells and the branding. You can see he’s got great attention to detail but I’ll let you into a little secret! … In a past life, Jamie was Buying Director for Gap.

He knows that as well as creating something beautiful he needs to be commercial. He’s growing his business by selling online, direct to customers at his pop-up store (details below) and to like-minded stockists in the UK and the US.

So if you love candles and you want to support a small business – go visit Jamie at his pop-up shop. You won’t come away empty-handed!

Five minutes with Jamie

TS: Hi Jamie how are you?  

JB: Hello!  I’m doing well...though I’m going in a million different directions all at once in the run-up to Christmas!
I’m making a LOT of candles, making stock and prepping for Christmas markets, online sales, and fulfilling stockist orders :)

TS: What got you into creating a candle brand?

JB: I’ve always loved business...and I’ve always loved ‘scent’, in a variety of forms.  After being frustrated with paying £35+ in order to get a candle that both looked and smelled great, I thought ‘I can do this better and more affordably’.  So that’s what I set out to do! 

TS: What did you do before Jamie?

 JB: I’ve done a variety of things in the past, but my main background is in fashion buying.  Similar to owning a candle business, fashion buying was a combination of both creativity + business skills. 

TS: There are loads of candle brands – what's so special about ‘Oh...James’?

 JB: I think there are a lot of things that are special about ‘Oh, James...’, but of course I would think that! 

There’s a lot of time, effort, and care that goes into each of my products, and hopefully, that shows :). 

Every candle is completely handmade in small batches. 

I like to pride myself on having slightly quirky scent combinations, but that hopefully still smell great. 

And last but not least, ‘Oh, James...’ is a bit of a light-hearted, fun brand...the last thing I’d want people to think of James is that he’s boring!

TS: Where can we find you and your gorgeous candles?

JB: You can find ‘Oh, James...’ online at www.ohjames.co.uk and at my pop-up shop at Vinegar Yard in London Bridge. It’s running through the end of the year.  We’re open Wed-Sun each week.  

Oh, James...is also available in a handful of stockists 

And I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with other great new stockists, wink wink ;)

London:

Hub Shop (Stoke Newington)

Hub Shop Man (Stoke Newington)

Hortus (Blackheath Village)

Bangs! (Walthamstow)

Troise & Sons (Containerville-London Fields)

Mrs. Robinson (Dulwich)

Devon:

Southwest15 (Kingsbridge)

USA:

Perch (San Francisco)

Black & Gold (San Francisco)

Follow Oh, James on Instagram: oh__james