Grossmith first arrived in 1835 and was founded by John Grossmith, who was an essential oil supplier for the burgeoning perfume industry. He quickly built a reputation for “the finest and the best”, and so the natural progression was to expand the business with their own line of fragrances. As was usual at the time, this initially consisted of colognes and floral waters. However, the passing of the reigns to his son, who was also called John, saw a scented complexity arrive that would be Grossmith’s hallmark for the rest of its life - and a trio of fragrances that would turn British perfumery on its head.
Hasu-no-Hana, Phul-Nana and Shem-el-Nessim were launched between 1888 and 1906, and they would form the basis of the revived company in 2009. The original house had become dormant at the end of the 1970s, having passed out of family ownership, but the original founder’s great great grandson bought it back in 2006. Simon Brooke and his wife Amanda worked alongside perfumer Trevor Nicholl of Robertet, and the original formulation books, to create the ultimate scented snapshot of Victorian and Edwardian life. Grossmith had many other success over the years, but we’re heading back to 1888 and a world obsessed.
The 1880s were a time that was dominated by a fascination with the Japanese. From their clothing to their decor, and even their makeup style, the public couldn’t get enough of this exoticism. 1885 had seen Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado open at the Savoy Theatre in London, and Grossmith were hot on their heels. They decided to create “the fragrant lotus of Japan” and, even though Guerlain’s abstract Jicky would follow within 12 months, certainly helped to change peoples’ perception of perfume for ever. Categorised as a chypre floral, it’s time to discover if it still lives up to its 136-year-old claim of being “beautiful and distinctive”?
Hasu-no-Hana opens brightly with a lavender-edged bergamot and bitter orange, along with an early appearance of earthy oakmoss. This is accompanied by a note of carnation-like clove, and this signals the appearance of the floral bouquet. To create the floral aspect of a Japanese lotus, a heady blend of rose, jasmine and ylang are merged to create an effect that is both dense and yet has a sky-high brightness at the same time. The pull from deep to piercing is wonderfully arresting, and is followed by a dry and crisp blend of vetiver, patchouli and cedarwood. This woodiness, combined with a smooth tonka bean and iris-laden labdanum, almost hints at the famously lacquered furniture, and really does complete an exceptional scent that is, without a doubt, still “beautiful and distinctive”.
Hasu-no-Hana is available from select fragrance shops including as Fiole, Jovoy and Les Senteurs priced at £230 for 50ml or £330 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Grossmith]
No comments:
Post a Comment