Luxury fragrance is often described through notes and ingredients, but for HARRY MEGHAN founder Oskars Katkevics, perfume begins with something far more personal: emotion. We spoke to the founder about craftsmanship, memory and why every bottle is designed to tell its own story.
Behind every fragrance is a story, but for Oskars Katkevics, founder of HARRY MEGHAN, storytelling isn’t simply part of the brand. It is the brand.
After spending years developing products and cosmetic brands for other companies, Oskars realised he wanted to create something that reflected his own vision. Rather than launching another beauty label, he set out to build a luxury fragrance house centred on emotion, individuality and craftsmanship.
From individually hand-finished bottles to fragrances designed around memories rather than trends, HARRY MEGHAN takes a refreshingly personal approach to modern perfumery. We sat down with Oskars to discover the inspiration behind the brand, the story of the EXTRATERRESTRIAL collection and why he believes fragrance is a universal language.
“Fragrance is a universal language.”
Your journey into beauty began nearly a decade ago. When did you realise you wanted to create your own fragrance house?
- Every great fragrance house begins with a story. What inspired you to create HARRY MEGHAN, and what was the vision from the very beginning?
My journey in the beauty industry began in 2016.
When I first entered the cosmetics industry, I spent countless hours reading, researching and learning.
Those years gave me invaluable experience and laid the foundation for everything that followed.
Although I’m not a chemist myself, I always had a very clear vision of what I wanted to create. I often compare the process to building a house. An architect has the technical expertise to design and construct it, but the vision of how that home should look, feel and function comes from the person who dreams it first.
In the same way, I worked closely with experienced chemists, sharing my vision of the experience I wanted each product to deliver, the results I wanted it to achieve, and how I wanted people to feel when using it. Together, we transformed those ideas into reality.
That journey also gave me the opportunity to develop two cosmetic brands for other companies and build the teams behind them. Together, we created everything from complete skincare collections and anti-age products to fragrances. It was an incredible learning experience that shaped my understanding of what true quality really means.
But deep down, I always knew I wanted to create something that truly reflected my own vision.
That vision wasn’t another cosmetics brand.
It was a luxury fragrance house.
I wanted to build something that could stand among the world’s finest fragrance houses—not simply because of its quality, but because of the emotions it could create.
- You describe fragrance as “a memory, a feeling and a story waiting to be told.” What does fragrance mean to you personally, and how has that philosophy shaped the brand?
For me, fragrance has never been just something you wear. It is one of the few things in life that can instantly transport you somewhere else.
A single scent can take you back to your childhood, remind you of someone you love, bring back a forgotten memory or simply change the way you feel in a single moment.
That’s why I often say that fragrance is a universal language.
It doesn’t matter where you come from, what language you speak or whether you’ve ever met before. A beautiful fragrance doesn’t need translating. It speaks directly to emotion. It awakens memories, creates joy, builds confidence and sometimes even changes the way we see ourselves.
That belief became the foundation of Harry Meghan.
I never wanted to create fragrances that people simply wear. I wanted every fragrance to become part of someone’s personal story.
- In a world filled with fragrance launches, what do you believe makes HARRY MEGHAN truly different?
I don’t believe the world needs another fragrance simply because it smells beautiful. There are already many wonderful perfumes.
What I wanted to create was something people could genuinely connect with.
Every Harry Meghan fragrance is created with a different personality in mind. I don’t expect everyone to fall in love with every scent, and that’s exactly how it should be. The EXTRATERRESTRIAL Collection was designed so that every individual can discover the fragrance that feels like it was created just for them.
Beyond the fragrance itself, every bottle is individually painted and finished using a unique dipping process, making every piece one of a kind. Just like people, no two are ever exactly the same.
And perhaps what makes Harry Meghan most different is that every purchase becomes something bigger than perfume. Together with every customer, we’re able to support children living in orphanages and shelters. I never wanted kindness to come only from the brand. I wanted every person who chooses Harry Meghan to become part of that story.
- Every HARRY MEGHAN bottle is individually hand-painted, making each one completely unique. Why was it important for artistry and craftsmanship to play such a central role in the brand?
For me, craftsmanship has always been about creating something with character rather than simply producing another product.
Beyond the fragrances themselves, every Harry Meghan bottle is individually finished by hand. Each bottle is individually coloured and completed using our unique dipping process, ensuring that no two are ever exactly alike. Just like people, every bottle has its own character and identity.
We live in a world of mass production, but I wanted Harry Meghan to feel personal. I wanted every bottle to remind people that true luxury isn’t about producing thousands of identical pieces—it’s about creating something that feels individual and meaningful.
That philosophy reflects the fragrances themselves. Every person is unique, every story is unique, and every memory is unique. I believe the bottle should reflect that same individuality before the fragrance is even experienced.
- The EXTRATERRESTRIAL collection has such an intriguing name. What’s the story behind it, and what journey do you hope it takes the wearer on?
The name EXTRATERRESTRIAL isn’t about science fiction or escaping reality. It’s about experiencing something that feels beyond the ordinary.
When I was creating the collection, I wanted every fragrance to feel like a discovery — something unexpected, something that awakens curiosity and emotion from the very first moment.
I hope that when someone wears one of our fragrances, they feel transported for a moment. Not to another planet, but to another emotion, another memory or another version of themselves.
If, even for a few seconds, a fragrance allows someone to dream, smile or remember something beautiful, then it has already fulfilled its purpose.
(I’ve always believed that moments like these are gifts. Perhaps the stars simply aligned at the right time, and for that I’m truly grateful to God.)
“Luxury with uncompromising quality.”
- When creating a new fragrance, where does the process begin? Is it an emotion, a memory, an ingredient, or something completely unexpected?
For us, a fragrance never begins with an ingredient. It always begins with a feeling, an inspiration or a mood we want to create.
We always ask ourselves one simple question: “How do we want someone to feel when wearing this fragrance?”
Only then do we begin exploring the ingredients, accords and composition that can bring that vision to life.
Every Harry Meghan fragrance is brought to life through the expertise of master perfumers, where heritage craftsmanship meets modern innovation. Every ingredient is carefully selected for the role it plays in the final composition.
Only when every element comes together does it become more than a fragrance. It becomes an experience—one that can awaken memories, evoke emotion and speak the universal language we believe in.
Sometimes it’s confidence before an important meeting. Sometimes it’s the warmth of a summer evening. Sometimes it’s mystery, comfort or quiet happiness. Every fragrance has its own personality.
That’s why we never create fragrances simply to follow trends. Trends come and go, but emotions stay with us for a lifetime.
If someone wears a Harry Meghan fragrance and, even for a brief moment, feels more confident, calmer or more like themselves, then we know we’ve created something truly meaningful.
- Luxury means different things to different people. What does modern luxury look like to you, and how do you hope people feel when they experience HARRY MEGHAN for the first time?
For me, luxury has never been defined by a price tag. Luxury begins with uncompromising quality.
Anyone can create something inexpensive, but creating something that truly moves people is much harder. I believe real luxury is found in the details, in craftsmanship, in authenticity and in the emotions something leaves behind.
That is why every Harry Meghan fragrance is created with extraordinary care, and every bottle is individually finished, making each one unique. I want people to feel that they are holding something created with intention, not something produced without a story.
More than anything, I hope people experience an emotional connection. If they pause for a moment, smile, feel more confident, remember someone they love or simply say “Wow,” then we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to create.
- What has been your proudest moment since launching HARRY MEGHAN?
Honestly, I don’t think my proudest moment has happened yet.
Of course, every kind message, every honest review and every customer who tells me that one of our fragrances made them smile means a great deal to me. Even constructive criticism has value, because it helps us grow and become better.
But I’ve always believed that success is a journey, not a destination. I still feel that Harry Meghan is only at the beginning of its story.
The day I see someone discover a Harry Meghan fragrance, fall in love with it and create a memory they’ll carry for years—that will always be more meaningful to me than any headline or award.
I truly believe our proudest moments are still ahead of us, and that’s what inspires me every single day.
- Looking ahead, what’s next for the brand, and what can fragrance lovers look forward to over the coming months?
I believe Harry Meghan is only just beginning.
Right now, our focus is introducing the EXTRATERRESTRIAL Collection to more people around the world, while staying true to the values that inspired the brand from the very beginning.
Over the coming months, we’ll continue building relationships with carefully selected retailers, luxury partners and people who genuinely believe in what we’re creating. Growth is important, but it should never come at the expense of authenticity.
At the same time, we’re already dreaming about future creations. I never want to release a fragrance simply because it’s time for something new. Every new creation should have a reason to exist, tell its own story and make people feel something meaningful.
- Finally, if someone was discovering HARRY MEGHAN for the first time, which fragrance would you encourage them to experience first, and why?
I honestly wouldn’t choose one.
People are beautifully different, and that’s exactly why the EXTRATERRESTRIAL Collection was created with six completely different personalities. Every fragrance is unisex, because emotions, memories and individuality are never defined by gender.
We’ve seen something fascinating. One person falls completely in love with Madly in Love, while another tells us it’s simply not for them because they prefer something darker like Out of the Dark. Neither person is right or wrong. They have simply discovered the fragrance that speaks their own language.
That’s why I never encourage people to start with one particular fragrance. I encourage them to discover the collection with an open mind and allow the fragrance to choose them, rather than the other way around.
“I never wanted to create fragrances that people simply wear. I wanted every fragrance to become part of someone’s personal story.”
As HARRY MEGHAN continues introducing the EXTRATERRESTRIAL collection to fragrance lovers around the world, Oskars remains focused on creating fragrances that leave a lasting emotional connection rather than simply following trends. For him, the greatest success won’t be measured by awards or sales alone, but by the memories people create every time they wear one of his fragrances.
Dionne’s Take
One thing that stood out during this conversation was Oskars’ belief that fragrance is about emotion before ingredients. In a market crowded with new launches, it’s refreshing to meet a founder who is building a brand around storytelling rather than trends.
