Fragrance house

Saffron James

Saffron James was established in 2007 by Katherine “Kate” Growney, a Big Island native and former beauty editor or contributor associated with Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Lucky. Inspired by the scents of Growney’s childhood in Hawaii, the brand built its creative identity around layered fragrances drawn from familiar Hawaiian flowers, alongside stories about those flowers’ history, legends, and cultural significance. It launched with Le’a, ‘Ume, and Pūnono, developed with perfumer Sarah Horowitz-Thran to recreate the experience of smelling the flowers in their natural Hawaiian setting. Le’a was presented as an olfactory homage to plumeria, while ‘Ume honored white ginger. Nani followed in 2008 and Ipo in 2010, expanding the line beyond its debut trio.