Candles can beautify the light and feeling of your space. They carry a quiet power — to evoke light, hope and a sense of the sacred. And their scent has always held something deeper. It can transport you to an old memory or a better frame of mind. Kejina Robinson, owner of Blk Rose says her products honour the voices of black women. “Candles are this element of light in the world, we are telling a story and illuminating these women through them,” she says.
Robison shares her journey into candle making and her mission to create a product that aligns with her values.
Edify: Tell me about yourself. Who were you before embarking on the Blk Rose journey?
Kejina Robinson: I am a woman of colour, a Black woman and I haven’t always seen myself in spaces. I’ve always worked in the non-profit sector. My life has always been about trying to create opportunities for myself and opportunities for other people in a world where it doesn’t feel like we belong.
Edify: What sparked your decision to become a business owner, particularly making candles?
Robinson: We all have power in the decisions we make and how we spend our money. I was searching for a brand of candles that better aligned with my values than one I had been buying. I couldn’t find one, and my life partner, Jeremy Rose, told me “You should just start making your own candles.” I thought it was totally crazy. But his encouragement pushed me.
I have been in leadership positions, but I never thought this was going to be a thing to do on my own. So I started to learn how to be a business owner, how to run my own business.
Edify: Did you always know about the product? How did you get familiar with the process?
Robinson: No, I had no idea how to make candles! It was a lot of trial and error. I was watching YouTube videos and researching and then we just started to figure it out. We were not perfumers. We were not candle makers. We were just self-taught people, passionate about trying to create beautiful candles and telling stories through those candles.
Edify: What are the values ingrained in Blk Rose?
Robinson: There are three main things.
One, is highlighting and celebrating stories of Black women. Having that be the main driving force of this. Two, the charitable component. This wasn’t just a venture to make money, it was about telling stories and contributing to our community. We donate 15 per cent of our proceeds to BIPOC-led community initiatives. Three, supporting other Black artists. Contributing to a community of inclusion, celebration and equity.
Edify: Can you tell me about the collection?
Robinson: The collection is called Blk is Beautiful. That was something my mom always said to me when I was young. It was important to frame the collection around that message to inspire young Black girls, to highlight the beauty of Black folks.
When I started naming these candles, I started with three women that my mom talked about. One of them is Toni Morrison, she is an author and the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature, and all her stories are about the Black experience and women coming of age. There’s also Josephine Baker, she was a big performer in the Harlem Renaissance. I thought “What would these clubs smell like when she was performing?” I thought it would be a musky and frankincense vibe, sort of romantic.
I try to think about what these women stand for, what story we want to tell through scent.
Edify: Do you believe scent unlocks memories?
Robinson: Yes, scent can connect emotions and bring back memories. I have been to markets where somebody smelt one of my candles and immediately started crying because it connected them to a memory. And someone told me she has our candles, and she saves them just for Sunday baths because they create this mood. Now that scent is associated with calm. It is amazing that we have created these scents that are evoking memories and have become part of a ritual.
Edify: How can a business like yours bring change or awareness?
Robinson: I think for anyone who is building a business or a community, it is important to find the right reason. We are selling candles, but we are also being mindful and trying to strengthen our communities. We donate money. We donate products. It is all about how we can work together.
It is also about being a part of the Edmonton art community! It is supporting local organizations doing important work and using our platform to share and amplify what other people are doing. That is the beauty of Edmonton. What makes this city so special is having many great people doing really great things. So, I ask myself, “How can I be part of that?”
Edify: What is something you wish people knew about your business? What is something you wish to convey to your customers?
Robinson: This is truly a labour of love. People don’t realize that it is just me and my partner in our home. Everything from the stickering to the wicking to the blending of every scent, it is just us inspecting every single candle.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Blk Rose products are on sale from the Blk Rose website, Violets, Magpie Books and occasionally in local markets. Read about Blk Rose in Made in Edmonton.
