A British fragrance house built on storytelling through scent, Thameen tap into culture and heritage through ‘…a profound love and passion for the craftsmanship of fine niche perfumery with world renowned perfumers.’
Founded in 2013, Thameen’s rise to success has been incredible, and dates far further back, to founder Basel Binjabr’s lifelong love of scent, which began in childhood while accompanying his father visiting independent sellers, who referred to his favourite rose oils as his ‘precious jewels.’ The connection stuck fast in his memory, this link between rare gems and fine fragrance, along with a true respect for what we now may call ‘artisanal’ or ‘slow perfumery.’ That is, the treasuring of ancient techniques and materials, but faceting them, if you will, in a timeless way that feels forever contemporary.
Thameen’s ethos is also modern, while still respecting the traditional, for they ‘create for today, thinking of tomorrow,’ with sustainability forefront. Along with their creativity and storytelling, a vital factor is ‘being good to our environment with the ingredients and materials we choose.’ Their careful curation carries through to the perfumers they work with, and creative talent they collaborate with in their collections. Think world famous noses such as Alexandra Carlin, Julia Rodriguez, Bruno Jovanovic, Alexandre Illan, Pierre-Constantin Guéros, Philippine Courtière and Maurice Roucel; because: ‘Thameen fragrances are created with enviable artistry, memorable sillage and intensive longevity by using the most sustainable ingredients.’ And of course, the treasured gem inspiration shines on in many of Thameen’s fragrances, which become liquid jewels to breathe life to as we wear them.
In Patiala, for example, at first there’s almost a head-rush of fresh citrus, then it blossoms into a bouquet of orange flower and wild roses, skin-warmed to offer up notes of moss, darkly glimmering amber and musk. The jewel which this scent imagines in fragrant form was the Patiala necklace, featuring no less that 2,930 diamonds set in platinum, and having been commissioned by the Maharajah of Patiala. For Cullinan Diamond, the reference is one of the most celebrated gems in the world – which will takes centre stage, having been re-set into the Crown worn by the Queen Consort in May 2023’s Coronation. Thameen’s fragrance – which pays such stunning perfumed homage to that stone – was especially decanted into a limited edition, bold red flacon that echoes the warmth of vanilla, rose, orris and amber within: a majestic bottle for an equally dazzling creation.
More recently, the renowned Chrisopher Chong has taken up the role of artistic residence, guiding the house into a fascinating exploration of London’s history (and its fragrant future), by creating the Britologne Collection. These are Cologne style, but certainly not in nature – described as Cologne Elixirs, their intensity and complexity belies the first gasp of freshness within, and envelops the wearer in a beguiling new direction for the house, this time paying homage to a sense of place (or ‘scents of place’, if you will), with their inspiration firmly rooted in the heritage of London’s historic streets and trades, while their modernity glints through the masterful compositions. Bruno Jovanovich worked on the first, which was inspired by the surroundings of Covent Garden’s historic flower market and sets the tone for the collection. Working in close collaboration with Chong, the perfumer states that for him, Fanfare is ‘…classic at first smell, but reveals something deeply decadent with daring facets, just like the British aristocracy from the Edwardian period in the early 20th century. For this purpose, I’ve chosen an opening with a beguiling watery floral and citrus accord, which slowly becomes darker as the structure evolves and becomes more and more daring with the vermouth accord. Finally, the noble woods bring this dark depth to the structure of the fragrance.’
This perfect balance of heritage and future-forward thinking ripples through everything Thameen create, from their jewel tones through to the frosted glass, from priceless gems and British jewels of a cultural nature to the sustainability and environmental concern that’s at their core; it’s no wonder they have gone on to be best-sellers and much-loved by fragrance fans the world over – a rarity that truly deserves your exploration. Scents to be savoured, loved and, yes, treasured: your only question is which Thameen is the right one for you, right now…?
