If you are a fan of everything that smells like old press offices, leather briefcases, fine evenings with cognac, the spicy scent in the streets, and the balminess of neo-colonial India, Shantanu & Nikhil has got something for you! After acing 20 years in the fashion biz, dynamic designer duo mastered the art of making scents and launched their brand new, first-ever men’s perfume line. Called Independence, their elite perfume is a result of a thoughtful creative process and months of playing with its formula.
Deriving inspiration from the neo-colonial era of India, Independence celebrates the nostalgia and sophistication of that time. The cologne includes elements like bergamot, pepper, coriander, clary sage, geranium, birch, cumin, tonka, leather and tobacco, amongst many other things. In a conversation with Vogue, the duo revealed what went behind in the making of their top-tier perfume. “The perfume has been in our thought process for a couple of years now. Through the progression of our design journey, we have become more profound in our storytelling of India and feel that this fragrance is a natural extension that augments the brand narrative. Every design process of ours places the brand narrative at the crux and that was the case even while creating the fragrance,” said Nikhil Mehra, CDO.
By the looks of it, one can make out that not just perfume, a lot went behind its bottle as well. “We wanted the storytelling to be captured beyond the fragrance itself, hence the unique packaging. The old ink bottle from the 1940s is an element that represents an era of change in Indian history. We have romanticised the power, eloquence and resolute that the bottle symbolises into a charming piece of luxury, concluded Shantanu Mehra, CEO.
Well, we can’t wait to get our hands on one. What about you?
(Source- Vogue India)
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