It is with the use of perfume that Amerigo Vespucci finds his way to Akbar’s court in Salman Rushdie’s novel, The Enchantress of Florence. In the best-selling novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, it is the unforgettable scent of a girl that drives the main protagonist to become a perfumer obsessed with scent preservation.
Perfumery is an art and it is this olfactory medium that Scent Sutra attempts to uplift to become the destination for artistic perfumes in the city.
The beginning of this can be traced back to when founder Neha Kedia found the perfumes and scents she used back in college, “I smelt my old fragrances and my spirits were lifted in an instant. I could recollect the memories of my graduation day! I realised that I wanted to create similar experiences for other people through scent. Scent is a huge part of my identity and it helps me express different facets of who I am.”
She then partnered with Vivek Chidambaram, the co-founder, who looks after the financial, legal and operational aspect of Scent Sutra. This idea is also supported by Parag Shah, founder of MIDAS, an institution that fosters entrepreneurial growth in India.
Know your Scents
Scent Sutra currently houses three of most exquisite artistic perfume brands in the world – Amouage, Nasomatto and Dali Haute Parfumerie. Each brand holds a different concentration of fragrance oil. Amouage perfumes hold between 20 to 25 percent, Dali Haute Parfumerie keeps from 22 to 24 per cent and Nasomatto captures around 40 per cent, being the highest.
Amouage was founded in 1983 by the Sultan of Oman to revive the art of Omani perfumery. The brand uses ingredients like frankincense and myrrh, native to Oman. Amouage Myths is a fragrance that has been inspired by surrealism. Myths for women is more floral with green facets whereas the one for men is bold, using more intoxicating ingredients like rum, ashes and leather. Amouage Epic, an eau de parfum, is a sensual mix of rose, oud and frankincense that makes it a spicy yet ethereal composition.
Nasomatto literally translates to ‘crazy nose’ and was founded ten years ago by Alessandro Gualtieri. It is known internationally as one of the most niche perfumeries. The ingredients are a mystery since they are never publicly revealed. Instead, Gualtieri treats our olfactory senses to eccentric fragrances like Black Afgano, that aims to evoke the finest quality of hashish, Baraonda, a scent that smells like raw yet sweet whiskey and Hindu Grass, a dry, green and woody fragrance that is almost meditative. All the fragrances come only in 30 ml bottles with specially carved wooden covers.
Dali Haute Parfumerie is a new collection of perfumes created by Alberto Morillas who was inspired by artist Salvador Dali’s jewellery collection. Regard Scintillant de Mille Beautés is the fragrance crowned with Dali’s famous eye. It captivates with its Turkish rose and musk seed scent. Fluidité du Temps Imaginaire is jewelled with the renowned clock from Dali’s painting, ‘The Persistence of Memory’. The fragrance merges in complete harmony with the concept of the painting so much so that time plays an essential role in recollecting the smell of this scent.
Wearing a Fragrance
Dozens of ingredients are used to create a unique scent in the fragrance pyramid. The three different notes are the top, middle and base which reveal different aspects of the scent as it is worn throughout the day.
Kedia points out that there are a lot of people who inquire as to how to put on perfume. To them she replies, “The beauty of a fragrance is when you wear it on your skin. Many people have the habit of spraying perfume on clothes but that is the wrong way. Secondly, scents smell differently on different people. It fascinates people to know that there is so much depth to this art.”
She also adds that the reason why scents smell differently on anyone is because of varying body chemistry. “When a scent is sprayed on your skin, how it performs on your skin is determined by your lifestyle, how much you sweat or sleep. We always recommend customers to spray the scent on them, walk around for an hour or two, see how it feels and then purchase it.” The different ways people are picking up the scent can also contribute to why the same smell can be so dissimilar to so many people. For example, some people love the smell of vanilla and others can’t stand it. This is why it’s always best to try a fragrance before buying it.
Scent Sutra sees itself launching a new brand every quarter. Kedia explains, “These brands have a wide range of products. We want to expand to different portfolios. Each brand has its own launches and we try to get them as soon as possible. We’re planning to open a store in other cities and international airports.” With its niche clientele in Pune, this store is certainly creating new and fragrant endeavours for itself.
Scent Sutra is located at Nitesh Hub, Koregaon Park.
Contact: +91 9930353131
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