Gallivant was founded by Nick Steward back in 2017 with four fragrances, London, Tel Aviv, Brooklyn, and Istanbul, but these soon expanded into a much larger and continually exceptional collection. There were no cliched inspirations here, such as earl grey tea and candy floss, but rather carefully measured creations that drew from solid sources. Nick had previously worked with the likes of Paco Rabanne, Molton Brown and L’Oréal, but it was his time as Creative Director for L'Artisan Parfumeur that truly cemented his love of the unexpected. Leaving that position to start his own brand was a gamble, but it definitely paid off.
The idea of creating a perfume range based around cities was nothing new. As I said before, inspiration comes in many forms, but using locations is fraught with dangers. One person’s memories of a place can be completely unknown to another. What is different with Nick Steward’s Gallivant range though is that, whilst they are designed around specific recollections, they also cleverly appeal to a more general perfume lover who just wants an excellent scent. It's treading the fine line between challenging and pleasing that Nick has achieved so perfectly, and which is missing in many other brands.
Nida opens with a startling blend of mandarin, cardamom and incense, and you really do smell these three aromas on first spray. This idea of a grounded uplifting beginning instantly conjures the idea of a scented “slower speed”. The development of the fragrance sees an aquatic floral heart appear but, with the exception of the violet, its radiant yet unisex bouquet effect presents itself as a whole rather than individual stems. The final wave of Nida sees a resinous woody quality coming through but, following the Gallivant way, it is the perfect example of “excess within control”- the dry cedarwood and earthy patchouli balancing with the textural moss and strident amber accord to hint at litchen-covered rocks and discarded driftwood. A beautiful addition to the Gallivant range, Nida is the perfect embodiment of a coastal town.
Nida launches on May 8th as a limited edition and is available to pre-order from the Gallivant website at gallivant-perfumes.com priced at £170 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Gallivant]
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