The whiff of Quiet Luxury
The intimacy of fragrance has its own signatures in India: a smudge of attar behind the ear, incense curling through a sunlit temple room, mornings carrying the warmth of Mysore sandalwood. But today's scent wearer exists in a post-gender, post-traditional moment, where perfume choices fuel personal identity and moods. Whether it's a peppery oudh or crisp bergamot fading into labdanum, a well-chosen perfume becomes part of your narrative. Moses Koul, actor and scent-obsessive, owns over 200 perfumes—not to impress, but to express. 'It doesn't have to be expensive. The people I idolised growing up all smelled good, and my most memorable experiences have a scent attached to them,' he smiles. Koul's ritual is exacting: a bedtime perfume, a preference for vintage musks, and a keen eye for niche houses.
This instinct for emotional resonance lies at the heart of India's growing niche fragrance scene. Shishir Mehta, founder of Scentido Niche Perfumery, an ultra-luxury boutique, says, 'In today's world, unisex isn't a category anymore—it's the standard.' His shelves are filled with olfactory storytelling, like Tilia by Marc-Antoine Barrois—a floral-woody blend of linden blossom and Indian jasmine—and A by Pantheon Roma, with tropical notes of mango, coconut, vanilla, and iris. 'A great perfume doesn't belong to a man or a woman. It belongs to a moment,' he asserts. The brands pushing this genderless revolution are many. Tom Ford's Black Orchid, with its heady mix of spice, chocolate, and floral darkness, set the tone early for sensual, boundary-blurring perfumery. Le Labo followed with minimalist, label-free bottles and bold scents like Santal 33. Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540 effortlessly marries skin and sillage
This perfumevolution is a national phenom. 'Beautiful India,' Estée Lauder's tribute to the country, embraces the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world is one family. With notes of jasmine sambac, cardamom, and sandalwood, it reflects a fragrance culture of wearable identity and Indian scent-sibilities.
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