GALLIVANT Ta’if photos courtesy of the brand

 ‘‘We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with Fortnum & Mason. It’s a British institution – and we were thrilled to be asked to create a global exclusive for them-Nick Steward of Gallivant Stories

After traveling  thirteen cities around the world (most recently to NIDA) through the medium of scent, London based GALLIVANT’s creative director and  founder Nick Steward was inspired by Saudi Arabia for the brand’s latest offering, Ta’if – a perfume created exclusively for the storied London department store Fortnum & Mason. As famous as it is for supplying the UK royal family with regular sustenance and award-winning tea, Fortnum’s is also the place where the scotch egg was invented so… avid picnickers and long-haul truck drivers the world over owe them a debt of gratitude.

Nick Steward courtesy of the brand

“With this journey to Ta’if, I wanted to celebrate the beauty of the location, this highland haven, and the incredibly rich history of the region – not least its storied rose -Nick Steward

 

Fortnum & Mason wikipedia

The store itself is a quintessentially English mixture of period drama heritage – all ornate sconces, afternoon tea and sweeping spiral staircases – and a carefully curated sense of modernity; a fact that is more than evident in its perfume department where celebrated classics and cult niche brands sit calmly side by side. All that history and tradition (a full 317 years of it) clearly isn’t lost on Nick Steward who admits he very much wanted to marry the iconic reputation and aroma of Ta’if rose – a legendary damascena rose grown at high altitude in the mountainous Mecca region – with a contemporary twist of clean, sparkling musks.

Perfumer Angéline Leporini of Eurofragrance courtesy of Gallivant

And as much as the rose is very much the star of GALLIVANT Ta’if, the supporting structure sets it off like a gem. Perfumer Angéline Leporini allows the rose to bloom in all its glory allowing the treasured floral essence with its breezy tea and honey facets is sweetly balanced by a date and honey accord along with wood notes and the blend of musks. The hint of that scorched metallic heat of saffron is also a clever nod  to the perfume’s  heritage of the Saudi Arabian region, adding a characteristic dryness  that is present but not dominate. Much like the patchouli, the saffron is used as a flourish in the base, colouring the musks and contouring the dry-down.

Fortnum & Mason Display courtesy of Nick Steward

GALLIVANT Ta’if is deftly composed using gourmand shading to update the ‘classic-smelling” powdery rose perfume, highlighting the brand’s contemporary touches. In exploring the heritage of the Ta’if rose and the area that gave it its name, GALLIVANT Ta’if is a unique twist on the hundreds of Middle Eastern style rose fragrances and never is a pastiche or cliché. Truly a great homage to the region and the store

Notes: saffron, pink pepper, Ta’if rose, date & honey accord, cypriol, olibanum, amber, gurjum, patchouli, musks

 Disclaimer: a sample of Ta’if was provided by the brand for review.

GALLIVANT Ta’if is available exclusively at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, London and soon online at fortnumandmason.com

-Oli Marlow, Contributor

Photo: Oli Marlow©

Thanks to the generosity of Nick Steward and the brand we have an 8 ml deluxe travel spray of GALLIVANT Ta’If for one registered reader in the UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Oli’s review and please state that you are in the U.K. or have a U.K address. Draw closes 6/23/2024

Michelyn’s Note: Nick Steward was my Hardest Working Person in Perfume in 2023. “Nick has been gallivanting all over the world finding inspiration for his collection of travel inspired fragrances since 2017. In 2023, he has been to 17 countries, exploring or meeting with fragrance lovers. Sound glamourous? Nick Steward makes every single sample by hand with his parents and then packs and posts all the orders.

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