From its market-stall roots to an east London factory, home fragrance brand Earl of East has seen significant change over the past decade. Founders Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin look back on the journey so far
Partners Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin began their new creative venture in 2014 from the energetic setting of an east London market stall. What started off as a ‘passion project’, soon developed into something more when Earl of East’s handmade candles caught the attention of both passing customers and notable retail buyers. Becoming a regular feature on the shelves of independent retailers all over the city, a community the duo say has been incredibly supportive, the scents were also picked up by larger department stores such as Selfridges.
Three years later, Dafkos and Firmin decided to open their own bricks-and-mortar shop in Hackney, a pivotal move for the brand. The store became a huge success, leading to further branches in Kings Cross in 2018, Shoreditch in 2021 and, most recently, Soho in 2023. Despite the opening of stores and the development of a growing customer base being a huge undertaking, the pair reveal that for the first five years they both still had full-time careers in advertising. “It’s funny to think that now, looking back,” comments Firmin, “but it allowed us to take the risks that were needed to grow the brand in the early days.”
This commitment to developing the brand reinforces the authentic passion its founders exude, and they say moving into a new 1,022 sq m factory and HQ in Leyton in 2021 from their old 74 sq m Hackney location was a game-changing moment. “Now we have the room to make our entire line in-house while also having an e-commerce area, office, creative studio, lab, production space and processing zone all under one roof,” Firmin says. “We are a fully vertically integrated business, and this has been integral to our growth. We’ve always done everything in-house, and the Leyton factory has enabled us to bring it all together in an efficient way.”
Since moving in, the once-empty warehouse has undergone a complete transformation, resulting in a dedicated, fit-for-purpose Earl of East facility. Adding a mezzanine floor, as well as softening of workspaces with design-led furniture, greenery and textiles, means the practical factory looks closer to an extension of the brand’s expertly styled stores. With plenty of natural light adding to the ambience of the space, tasks such as brand photography can now also be completed internally.
“The transformation has been really fun,” Dafkos explains. “Because we now have the space, we have been able to do the basics first and then adapt each area based on our growing needs.” The newfound flexibility has also enabled the company to order much bigger quantities of raw materials, helping it to keep prices consistent and remain centred on its democratic ethos: to make luxury products sustainably and at an affordable price.
With the chain of stores also stocking an array of homewares and accessories from other brands and designers, and the company developing its own range of bathing products, the duo states the retail arm of the business is now just as integral to their growth plan. “We have always believed that having the retail element running alongside the manufacturing of our own products makes us unique,” says Dafkos. “They support each other, as the store creates the ideal curated world for our products to sit within and appeals to the customer we aim to reach.”
Reflecting on the past decade, Dafkos says that, despite the many challenges they have faced, the experience has been incredibly rewarding. “It comes back to being vertically integrated,” he says. “We have more control over our business because we manufacture and carry out all our functions internally.”
Thinking about where they envisaged the brand might be ten years into their project, Dafkos says the goalposts have constantly moved. “As a company founder, there is certainly always an element of pressure. In the early days, that’s what drives you,” he continues. “However, we have surpassed a lot of our early goals and dreams, and we certainly didn’t imagine we would have a store on Regent Street when we set up the market stall a decade ago!”
In taking the time to appreciate the journey so far – a tough challenge for business owners who are often already moving onto the next target – Dafkos and Firmin say the constant drive to improve and adapt is what makes it so exciting. With a new line of bar soaps about to launch on top of lots of upcoming projects to mark Earl of East’s anniversary, this is certainly a momentous milestone for the team to celebrate.
Looking ahead, the future continues to seem promising for Earl of East, and Firmin alludes to international growth plans. “If the next 10 years are anything like the last, it’s going to be wild!” he says, laughing. And with an abundance of lessons learnt, they pair certainly feel more prepared for what the next decade might bring.
They do, however, have some words of advice for others who may be at the beginning of their own creative venture. “Stick to your guns and don’t compare yourself to others, says Dafkos. “You need to believe in what you’re doing,” Firmin adds. “Say yes to everything, be willing to learn and don’t expect things to be perfect from the word go; I don’t think anyone holds you to that idealism other than yourself.”
Images courtesy of Earl of East
This story was originally featured in OnOffice 166, Spring 2024. Discover similar stories by subscribing to our weekly newsletter here
