GQ Distinctive: A first search at Maison Shantanu & Nikhil’s first ever fragrance

Maison Shantanu & Nikhil is commencing the yr on a heady note–notes of leather, clary sage, and tonka bean, to be actual. With the spicy aromatic ‘Independence’, the brand tends to make it entrance into the environment of fragrance for the initially time ever. GQ chatted with designers Shantanu and Nikhil about the fragrance, its luxe notes and esthetic, and what it symbolises for the manufacturer as we wander into 2021…

GQ: What made you determine to foray into the globe of fragrances at a time like 2021 

Shantanu & Nikhil: “Last calendar year introduced with it the 20-calendar year mark for our manufacturer, and it has been a 12 months of new endeavors for us. Furthering this notion, we’re now expanding our footprint in the luxurious market by foraying into the planet of fragrance. The fragrance is something we have been pondering about for a pair of yrs now. By the progression of our style and design journey, we have become additional profound in our storytelling about India, and sense that this fragrance is a purely natural extension of the brand name narrative.”

GQ: Fashion to fragrances constantly comes across as a seamless transition. How complicated was it to get your style sensibilities and use them to the world of scent? 

S&N: “Any inventive procedure arrives with its have issues, this has been just one, too–from craft to scent. Placing it together was a stunning encounter of the senses, the place we centered on translating perceptible aspects essential to Shantanu & Nikhil, into a reverie of senses that represented the emotion we needed to deliver out.”

GQ: Why the name ‘Independence’? What does it represent to Shantanu & Nikhil?

S&N: “‘Independence’ we come to feel is a pretty fitting phrase for the world these days. It has a perception of liberty, belonging and a little bit of nostalgia, all of which the fragrance represents. Its underpinned by escapism, intended to transportation you to a different world that is totally free of time, free of charge of ‘now’ but entire of emotion.”

GQ: Who designed the fragrance? What was the story you wanted them to notify with the fragrance?

S&N: “Designing the fragrance was a great journey of conversation and collaborative perception-generating among us, the creators and ace perfumers at Tojo. The scent was crafted at a German Perfumery, with nuanced fragrance blends. The fragrance is designed to evoke luxe masculinity and chivalry. It is an ode to custom, and celebrates the nostalgia and sophistication of neo-colonial India.
We shot the campaign film at The Imperial, New Delhi. It was a befitting placing, as it is the great language of India’s loaded legacy and history with a hint of fleeting modernity.”

GQ: Tell us about the notes that were being decided on for Independence? What is the story that ties them together?

S&N: “We identified inspiration in the understated points that belonged to the neo-colonial era. The clickity-clack from aged push places of work, leather briefcases, fantastic evenings with cognac, the whiff of tobacco from smoking cigarettes pipes, and the spicy scents of the streets. Independence leaves a sillage of old-planet charm as the notes transportation you to an era of classic natural beauty.
Base: Tonka, Leather, Tobacco
Coronary heart: Clary Sage, Geranium, Birch, Cumin
Best: Bergamot, Pepper, Coriander”

GQ: The crystal bottle that bears it is encouraged by the early 1900s ink bottle–tell us about why that became the muse? 

S&N: “The signature Shantanu & Nikhil narrative comes via outside of the fragrance itself with its packaging. We had been impressed by the sartorial atmosphere, and the old ink bottle from the 1940s is a time that represents an period of modify in Indian record. We have romanticised the power and eloquence that the bottle symbolizes into a piece of tangible luxury. The Eau De Parfum sits in a crystal bottle designed in France. Meticulously hand-polished and grinded, the statement bottle has been crafted employing superior good quality crystal–essentially producing it a work of artwork in its personal right.”

GQ: And finally, what sort of gentleman do you see donning the fragrance? What qualities does he imbibe? 

S&N: “The fragrance belongs to the gentleman of nowadays. A person who is self-knowledgeable, who takes satisfaction in his Indian heritage but continue to has an knowledgeable, world stage of watch.”

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