Thameen London is an English fragrance house that’s been on the scene since 2013. Its library of scents is a collection of stories about British culture and heritage, and each perfume is backed by a passionate team of experts within the niche fragrance world.
Creative Director Christopher Chong, who’s been with the company since 2022, has brought a new perspective to the company’s brand, working hard to continue the storytelling aspect while infusing a fresh modernity into the perfumes and their marketing.
For Chong, Thameen is about drawing on the familiar – those irrefutable emblems of Britain that are quintessentially English to the rest of the world. Take Covent Garden – most of us have at least heard of this iconic location, the backdrop of the classic film My Fair Lady.
Thameen’s fragrance Bohemian Infusion was inspired by the 19th and 20th century version of this setting, calling itself a “playground for the sinful and decadent pleasures of the dandies and literati” and an exploration of the “duality between light and shadow, danger and desire.” A fragrance of contrasts, this combines zesty grapefruit, pettigrain, and blackcurrant with artemesia, cinnamon, ambrostar, labdanum, and patchouli. This marriage of careful historical research with expertly blended, high-quality ingredients – it creates an allure for the fragrances, an intrigue of the nose that begs to be followed.
Bohemian Infusion is part of Thameen’s Britologne Collection, Chong’s debut project at Thameen. With this collection, Chong says, he and the perfumers are “traveling back in history, bringing concepts forward with modern technology and science.”
Scent is, of course, subjective – we all have different olfactive associations and opinions. But what if a perfume could capture the very air of a precise moment in history?
“That would be magical,” says Chong. And that’s exactly what they tried to do with Bohemian Infusion and the rest of the collection. Fanfare is another standout – inspired by the flower market at Covent Garden, this one is a deep and woodsy floral that combines bergamot and neroli with rosemary, musk, vetiver, and more. Bold as Love is the newest in the collection, inspired by Jimmi Hendrix. Aromatic and animalic, this fragrance pays homage to the musician’s soulful, sensual artistry. Combining notes of mandarin, ginger, lavender, smoky leather, and more, this one conjures the magnetic, raw energy of Hendrix on stage.
Chong believes Thameen is a standout within the industry. “I think Thameen is bold,” he says. “We focus a lot on artistry. We want to be different. We don’t want to be copycats or produce the same perfume everyone else is doing. We want to become the ladder in the trends.”
For Chong, fragrance is more than a final step in a morning routine – it’s a form of empowerment, and he wants that for his customers. “I want to empower them to feel confident that they are wearing a perfume for themselves, not for somebody else.”
“I love fragrance because it’s a creative outlet for me,” says Chong. “I find it to be a form of expression. Sometimes I have feelings and fragmented thoughts in my mind I cannot express using words. It allows me to share what I’m thinking and feeling with the rest of the world. It allows the world to take that feeling and embrace it.”
Fragrance, says Chong, is one of the few adornments that does not discriminate. Makeup, clothing, and hairstyles can look different on everyone, or they can be difficult to pull off; but a gorgeous scent is only a spritz away, and it can transform the way we feel.
“Fragrance is an accessory. It still loves us no matter what we feel or what we look like. That’s why fragrances are so powerful. Perfume is your best friend,” says Chong.
Check out the rest of the Britologne collection – and Thameen’s other fragrances – at usa.thameenlondon.com.
