Manos Gerakinis Anthem, photo by Nicoleta
“The isles of Greece! the isles of Greece
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace,
Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung!
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
But all, except their sun, is set”-George Gordon Lord Byron 1819
The reception of Lord Byron at Missolonghi. Painting by Theodoros Vryzakis. Public Domain
Lord Byron, one of the most iconic poets and one of the most famous philhellenes of all times, declared, “If I am a poet, … the air of Greece has made me one.”
Manos Gerakinis portrait-by George Kottarakos Photography
The air of Greece is brought to us by the house’s founder, Manos Gerakinis, with his olfactive stories that fuel the imagination, feed the soul, and caress the senses. The first luxury niche Greek house floats effortlessly between the East and the West, between simplicity and opulent extravagance, using the most intricate craftsmanship to deliver a fresh contemporary result in their approach to the timeless art of perfumery.
Manos Gerakinis Anthem guides us back in time, on a new olfactory journey, to the Greek revolution of 1821: “Anthem’s inspiration comes from the Greek revolution in 1821. The fragrance with notes of labdanum, saffron, amber and oud recounts the story of Greece and its journey towards freedom and independence. Two hundred years later, the core values of the revolution still apply to the modern ‘revolutionary’ man. Anthem brings the past into the future and unites the East with the West in its own distinctive way. When I was thinking of the revolution, I was also thinking of the modern man and asked myself: how free are we today? My mind wandered between social media, the internet, and the ideal lifestyle as it is displayed on media. That is how I made the connection with the past and the present as well as the “modern revolutionary” man. Chris Maurice is the ideal person as I find we can relate on a deeper level and he gets my thinking very naturally.. We are working on a new fragrance for a 2022 release and you can’t imagine the ease and natural flow of energy and understanding between us.”
When reading the last line from the brand presentation, I loved the ending: “The only real luxury is time, make yours memorable,” and Manos was kind enough to tell me more about it when I asked him to elaborate further on the idea: “I personally regard fragrances as the potions that can lighten one’s spirit. My intention is to uplift others and to awaken secret emotions: Anthem is a life force that brings the strength and courage to become a better person”
Detail from the limited edition packaging of Manos Gerakinis Anthem, designed by Greek painter G. Stathopoulos
Just like the bird pictured above, the fragrance soars in the air from the first seconds, just like a scented symbol of freedom. Vertical, bright, uplifting, it feels as yellow as drops of lemon sparkling in the sunlight, with saffron wings, the one spice more precious than gold, adding its tactile leathery and spicy facets to the airy liftoff. The vibrant sunny amber slowly rotates away from the sun, darkening the bright edges, giving contrast and depth to the image that forms in the following frames. This part of the fragrance brought back memories from my university years – of a mixture of silent solemnity and sheer sensorial delight that I still continuously chase for when traveling – but seldom find. The sudden goosebumps on my sun-bitten skin, coming out from the scorching summer heat outside to the cool dry air of an ancient library. The wallpaper of noise of the underground still ringing in my ears shattered against a wall of silence that almost felt material, with small muffled echoes of almost imperceptible sounds adding even more depth to its presence. Eyes gradually adapted to the dim lights colored by the stained glass while the feeling of being suspended out of time was both deliciously exhilarating and strangely comforting.
The memory of those seconds of calibrating my body, mind, and soul to a knot where I felt the presence of history resurfaced when diving further into the dry-down of Anthem. The deep ambers alternate between their initial freshness and newly added weight given by the bouquet of flowers that blooms in its heart- with rose and ylang tempered by the bite of cinnamon and spices. There’s an underlayer of honeyed roundness that satisfyingly interplays with the angular edges of the bright citric notes and the spiky facets of the spices, making the experience ever so satisfying in its sensorial contrasts.
Further sliding on the sinuous curves of associations mixed with memories, I see dusty pages of books turning into dry crimson petals of a rose, the smell of incense sticks wafting on stone corridors that led to my room in the attic of that old house, my silver bracelet covered arms drawing aside the heavy velvet curtains, and opening the windows, to let in the evening air together with the call of the muezzin.
A reflection of time by Theodoros Rallis painting1890 approximate wikiart
In the drydown we enter the portal that opens the soul of the fragrance – a dense, sleek, and sensual experience that dances on your skin, relentlessly. All the usual suspects we love to love are here: a smooth leather mixed in with deep vanilla, earthy patchouli, and the most smooth vision of oud.
Manos’s task is not a simple one. Still, we are given a fully immersive experience that speaks to the mind, heart, and soul with equal strength, and Anthem does what the name promises: strikes a universal chord that resonates with the most intimate parts of one’s soul.
PS – I have worn this perfume while having on repeat one of my favorite albums of the last year: Brendan Perry’s Songs of Disenchantment – Music from the Greek Underground – and until you get the chance to sniff Anthem, please listen to the cover of the traditional Greek song “Bring me a cup of wine” for an extra “impossible-to put-into-words” layer.
Top Notes: Labdanum, Lemon, Saffron
Heart Notes: Cinnamon, Geranium, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Nutmeg
Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber, Oud, Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood, Oakmoss
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Disclosure: 10 ml Travel kindly provided by Manos Gerakinis, opinions are my own
Editor’s notes Lord Byron is one of the first and best-known philhellene (an admirer of Greece), who actively participated in Greece’s War of Independence, eventually losing his life in Missolonghi on April 19, 1824.
Anthem is a finalist for Perfume Extraordinaire at the Fragrance Foundation UK
Also read Nicoleta’s review of Omen which is a finalist of the Art and Olfaction awards 2022
photo courtesy of Manos Gerakinis
Thanks to the generosity of Manos Gerakinis we have a 10 ml travel size of Anthem for one registered reader in the EU, US and UK You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. Draw closes May 13, 2022
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