Kismet Olfactive - Nostalgia - niche perfume
Nostalgia is a love song to the French-Alps village of Grasse, where Kismet-founder Shabnam Tavakol studied perfumery. Structured on poetry’s 14-line sonnet form, the fragrance is composed of 14 raw materials.
Nostalgia’s first stanza is based on seductive suede, saffron, and leather accords, evoking Grasse’s roots as an epicenter of tanning in the Middle Ages. Heart notes include Rose de mai and nagarmotha as a nod to Grasse’s rise as the world’s perfume capital in the 18th century—home to hillside flower fields that meet the Mediterranean Sea. At its volta, Nostalgia turns upwards towards anisic top notes inspired by Pastis—the complex, herbal aperitif with which Shabnam developed an intimate relationship during after-school hours at Grasse’s sole watering hole, Le Crystal.
eau de parfum 50 ml / unisex
| Category: | Niche perfumes |
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Kismet fragrances are made by hand in small batches, are unfiltered, and contain a high concentration of natural raw materials—therefore, some cloudiness or sediment may occur.
Top notes: Anise
Heart notes: Tonka Bean, Rose de mai
Base notes: Leather, Suede, Nagarmotha
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Kismet Olfactive is a New York City-based independent fragrance studio founded by bohemian-perfumer Shabnam Tavakol. Born and raised in California, Shabnam—Farsi for “morning dew”—is the daughter of Iranian-immigrant parents who escaped the violent 1979 Revolution in Iran, relocating to the U.S. by way of hard-won efforts and a string of good fortune. Recognizing this fortuitous past, Kismet—from the Persian qismat, meaning “fate,” or, “what is meant to be”—translates the serendipitous moments that make up our lives into wearable scents.
WE STORYTELL THROUGH SCENT
Kismet bridges Persian heritage and Western upbringing through a range of influences that overlap and transcend both worlds: 1960s revolutionaries in music, film, and fashion, experimental storytelling, psychedelia, nostalgia, poetry, human connection, theories of time, morning hours, sensuality, synesthesia, moodiness, eastern philosophies, free spirits, and a general revolt against the establishment at large.
Likewise, Shabnam looks to olfactive genealogy and its cycles, as well as the interconnections between ancient Eastern scent practices, classic French perfume style, and contemporary trends, to help define Kismet’s offering of bold, unisex fragrances. Kismet represents custom small-batch formulation, hand-selecting only the finest oils and ethically sustainable raw materials in its dedication to artful olfactive storytelling.
Shabnam Tavakol studied fragrance creation at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in South France. After graduating, she worked professionally with large-scale fragrance houses and master perfumers in Paris and New York City before founding Kismet Olfactive.