Hello. I’m Alex and I run Hanamori, a natural perfumery and wellness brand in Hartlepool, UK. As an illustrator and printer I was obsessed with old martial arts movies, martial arts, Japanese aesthetics and the macabre, which was pretty apparent in my work and still is. In 2022 I got into aromatherapy as part of my yoga teaching and developed my own oil blends that eventually made it into my first natural perfume oil – Kunoichi Shadow Flower. My first candles were meditation candles that I used during my Zen meditation sessions and I still use these today. 

Hanamori basically means flower guard/protector in Japanese – I am heavily into floral-based scents and 90% of my products have florals in them somewhere! 

I like to share my Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) practise in my branding too and create each piece individually. 

All my products are inspired by Japanese culture (I’ve been practising Japanese martial arts and studying the language for many years), some of my favourite florals and a love of holistic wellness that can benefit absolutely everyone. My style is a little dark (Death Flower, anyone?!) but I think that’s okay too. We can all afford to be a little spooky from time to time…

I’m also vegan so make sure I source only vegan-friendly supplies for my perfumes, skin elixirs and candles. Sometimes I use fragrance oils instead of essential oils – don’t worry, they’re vegan-friendly too! I only use environmentally-friendly inks in my screen printed bags and pouches because harsh, chemical inks aren’t great either. 

So now you know all about me, it’s over to you. If you’re into that sort of thing you can always join my mailing list (and also get a tasty discount maybe) to be notified about new products and events I’ll be at. Or just drop me a line below and tell me your favourite martial arts movie, even if it’s a really cheesy one. 

When I’m not creating you can find me at Ninjutsu, Ju-Jitsu, on ice, drinking tea or just hanging out with my dog. I live by the sea and it’s pretty great.