A new perfume house has just launched – TFK,
The Fragrance Kitchen by Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah.
Based in Kuwait,
this perfume house combines the tradition of Middle Eastern perfumery with the French
expertise of Grasse,
the perfume capital of the world, where scents are analysed, executed and
bottled.
Fragrance is very important in Kuwait with families
closely guarding secret perfume recipes which have been passed down from
generation to generation. In the UK
we may have grandma’s secret recipe for a pie, jam or cake, but in Kuwait it is much
more glamorous with grandma’s secret recipe being for a fragrance. And Sheikh Majed’s grandma was no exception
as she taught her grandson how to create scents by mixing oils bought at the
souk markets with precious ingredients sourced from India. Discovering he had a ‘nose’
for perfume, he was able to take it out of grandma’s kitchen and in to his own ‘Fragrance
Kitchen’.
Although the fragrances are all unisex,
some are more feminine and others more masculine.
There are 3 fragrance collections:
Signature; Exclusive and the Limited Edition Handmade line.
Signature Collection:
Numbered rather than named, these 36
fragrances are meant for everyday use.
The bottles are of simple design. Approx €100
Exclusive Collection:
This line features more opulent scents
which are narrative driven. Sheikh Majed
explains that it isn’t just a fragrance but more of a story or diary evoking
memories, journeys and personal experiences.
The names vary from the straightforward
‘Kuwait’ and ‘Arabia’ to the tongue in cheek such as ‘Gone with the Smell’, ‘At Your Own
Risk’ and Musky Ever After’.
My favourite in both scent and name is ‘War
of the Roses’. I love the floral heart note and the musky dry down. Plus the name is quite apt for a Yorkshire lass.
Another one that caught my eye was ‘Mister
Danger’. The name intrigued me,
especially when I was actually introduced to Mr Danger himself at the press
event! Yes that is his real name. Romain
Danger works behind the scenes designing the bottles and graphic patterns.
The scents in this collection are stronger
and more for evening use. This year the design of the flacon is black with
white graphic patterns but this will change as the idea is to update it yearly,
although the fragrance will remain the same.
At the moment there are 10 fragrances and more to come as Sheikh Majed
has plenty of grandma’s secret recipes. Approx €150
Handmade
Collection
This is a collaboration with designers so
the fragrance and its flacon become a work of art. Dutch ceramicist Kiki van Eijik has designed
the first of the line which will be changed every season. Her inspiration for the bottle was a spice
bag. She wanted to keep the Eastern romanticism. The fragrance was then blended
and once she knew the ingredients used, she
designed a pattern for the packaging which included them. Approx €1,000
We can thank Tom Ford for inspiring Sheikh
Majed to open his own perfume house. In
2009, Tom wanted an exclusive scent for his new Kuwait boutique and who better to
ask than someone who already custom blended his own perfumes? The scent was
called Arabian Wood and is now part of the exclusive Tom Ford Private Blend
Collection. So thank you Tom for opening
up the fragrance box that otherwise may have been kept just for family and
friends to enjoy.
All the perfumes can be bought from their boutique
in the exclusive Al Hamra Luxury Centre, Kuwait City.
But if that’s a bit too far, there is always their website www.thefragrancekitchen.com
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