🎵 The Beginnings of MEDLEY
Interview with Mélina, co-founder – The story behind Medley
Asking Mélina – The Birth of Medley
👋 Introduction & Encounter with Perfume
Q. Can you briefly introduce yourself and you background?
M. My name is Mélina, and I am the co-founder of Medley. Originally from France, I have been living in Korea for about ten years. Before Medley, I explored very different fields: I worked in hospitality as a chef de partie, then in web marketing as a project manager, and even in event planning as a wedding organizer. Later, I joined a cosmetics company where I stayed for six years. That’s where I met Sena, and the Medley adventure began.
My interest in perfume developed gradually. At first, I used it in a limited daily routine with only one or two bottles. It was through working in the cosmetics industry and participating in perfume-related projects that my curiosity truly turned into passion.
💭 The Beginnings of the Brand
Q. How did the idea of Medley come about? What was the very first spark?
M. We both knew we wanted to start our own venture, and we had even drafted several business plans in other fields (but those will remain a secret for now!). While working on a project with a perfume brand, we came up with the idea to create our own. The real spark came during a concert we attended together, a powerful moment that strengthened our friendship and triggered the connection between music and perfume.
🎵 Music and Perfume
Q. Why did you want to create a dialogue between music and perfume?
M. Music is an integral part of our lives and accompanies our emotions. Who hasn’t chosen a playlist based on their mood? We wanted our perfumes to serve the same role: reflecting the energy, emotion, or atmosphere of the moment, just like a song would.
🚀 The Journey to Launching the Brand
Q. What were the major steps in creating the brand, from idea to launch?
M. The first steps were administrative: registering the company and setting up our official partnership. For the rest, our professional experiences had already prepared us for practical aspects: sourcing, organization, budgeting… The most challenging part was making artistic, visual, and olfactory choices that were harmonious, true to our vision, and representative of our shared tastes.
🤝 Role Sharing & Teamwork
Q. How did you divide the roles within the project?
M. Rather than defining strict roles, we preferred to operate with mutual support. Tasks naturally aligned with our skills, and all decisions are made by agreement. If one of us isn’t convinced, we always seek an alternative until we find common ground.
The only truly distinct tasks are related to photoshoots: Sena handles the photography, and I take care of the retouching afterward. She also manages the administrative side, which can be more challenging for me linguistically, and I am very grateful to her for that.
🌟 Learning from Each Other
Q. What do you admire most about each other as co-founders?
M. What I admire most about Sena is her determination: she does everything to reach her goals. Where I sometimes hesitate or slow down certain decisions, she encourages me to think bigger and take measured risks, which often benefit our project. Beyond her entrepreneurial spirit, she is a reliable partner and a friend with whom I can discuss openly, even our disagreements. Our mutual respect and the balance between our very different personalities, I believe, are the key to our duo.
💖 The Values of Medley
Q. What values do you want Medley to convey?
M. This is a question Sena and I strangely haven’t discussed, so I’ll speak for myself. I would like Medley to convey the same values that music represents for me: sharing, sensitivity, tolerance, and inclusion.
🎼 Music That Accompanies Us
Q. Has music always played an important role in your personal life?
M. Absolutely. Like many, music has always accompanied me. As a child, it was already playing daily at home or in the car with my parents. Later, with Walkmans and then MP3 players, I spent hours listening to and downloading my favorite tracks. Even today, I love discovering new artists, collecting vinyl, and music accompanies my moods every day.
🌏 Challenges of a Korean-French Brand
Q. What challenges did you face when launching a bicultural brand in the perfume industry, and how did you overcome them?
M. In my opinion, I didn’t feel any real cultural barrier in the perfume world. Our differences in taste sometimes extended the product development process, but that wasn’t solely due to our cultures. Of course, language could create small misunderstandings, but they were always quickly resolved through dialogue.
🏆 Memorable Moments
Q. What has been the biggest surprise (or proudest moment) since the launch?
M. My proudest moments are when we see our finished products for the first time or when we receive enthusiastic feedback from our customers. Creating something that touches and pleases others is immensely satisfying. But if I had to name the ultimate pride, it would be having launched my business in my host country alongside a partner who has also become a friend.
💬 Medley in Three Words
Q. If you had to describe Medley in three words, which would you choose?
M. As a person: pride, challenge, dedication.
As a brand: musical, companion, emotion.
🎧 The Music of Perfumes
Q. If you had to choose a song for each of the first three perfumes, which would you choose?
M. POP - Hard to pick just one among all my references! But if I had to choose one that resonates with me regardless of the period of my life, it would be “Good Old Days” by Macklemore.
JAZZ - A timeless classic: “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
CLASSICAL - I have a strong memory from my dance years when I discovered Maurice Béjart’s choreography on Ravel’s “Boléro.” This piece has remained one of my favorites in classical music.
🇫🇷 Perfume and Culture According to Mélina
Q. What is your personal relationship with perfume as a French person? Is it cultural, intimate, or familial?
M. Since childhood, I have always associated perfumes with the people who wore them. My father has worn the same perfume for over twenty years, and I still remember its notes accompanying him in the morning when he left for work. My mother also had her favorite perfume, which she wore for a long time, even though unfortunately it no longer exists today.
When I reached the age to choose my own, I first followed this habit, staying faithful to one or two perfumes, before opening myself more recently to new discoveries. What I still love is encountering a familiar scent on the street and immediately recalling a memory or the face of a loved one.
💐 Between French Tradition and Korean Sensibility
Q. How do you see the contribution of Korean sensibility in a universe historically dominated by France?
M. France remains a historical and essential reference in the perfume world. But Korea, in my view, brings a different approach: a certain delicacy, subtle freshness, in line with the natural beauty image often associated with this country. It is this particular sensibility that, in my opinion, enriches and complements the French heritage. Our Korean perfumers could probably express it in more technical terms, but this is what I feel.
💡 The Inspiration Behind the Perfume
Q. Was there a musical style or life moment in France or Korea that directly influenced one of the perfumes in the collection?
M. The most obvious example is our POP perfume. It was directly inspired by the Harry Styles concert that we attended together with Sena. This moment not only marked the beginning of our Medley journey but also gave the creative impetus that guided the creation of this perfume.
💛 Our Evolution as a Duo
Q. What has collaborating with your Korean co-founder brought you personally and professionally?
M. Professionally, working with Sena has strengthened my sense of responsibility: when something doesn’t work, it doesn’t only affect me, but also her, and it pushes me to give even more. It has also taught me the opposite: to let go, to trust, to rely on her when I doubt or don’t know how to move forward.
Personally, this collaboration has taught me the importance of clearly expressing disagreements. In a partnership, it’s essential that each person can say what doesn’t work for them, to avoid frustrations or misunderstandings that could harm the relationship. It has also pushed me to listen more carefully and to sometimes nuance my positions, so that we are both fully satisfied with the result. Our mutual trust is a pillar of our collaboration and is what makes our duo work.
🌈 Closing Words
Q. In the future, what kind of brand would you like Medley to become?
M. I would like Medley to go beyond a simple perfume brand and become a presence that naturally integrates into people’s daily lives, much like music. Perfumes that accompany moods and everyday moments, and a community where these moments can be shared. If through our perfumes, everyone can convey their emotions and create memories, then that would be a success.
Q. Finally, do you have a message for those who love Medley?
M. Medley was born from friendship and passion. It’s still a small brand, but every step is carried out with the greatest care and all our hearts. We sincerely thank everyone who accompanies us on this journey.
