*KWESTIONARIUSZ CHARLIEGO* - Nick Steward

Nick Steward

Nick has more than two decades of hands-on experience in perfume-making and was product and creative director of the pioneering niche house L’Artisan Parfumeur, Paris, before going out on his own to create GALLIVANT eight years ago. The collection of unisex scents, inspired by journeys, brings a playful and unpretentious approach to perfumery - for a discerning and curious customer. I had a chance to talk to Nick - both formally and informally - on several occasions and it has always been sheer pleasure. The first Gallivant’s scent I fell in love with was London beautifully connecting to one of my favourite bands - Pet Shop Boys..

1. What was your first seriously worn perfume?

1881 Men by CERRUTI. I wore this a lot in the early 1990s. Maybe it’s a touch of nostalgia for a decade I loved (fun times!), but looking back with the perspective of today, I think a lot of that 90s perfumery feels original (without trying too hard) and memorable. And also classy and timeless to me.

2. What do you love in perfumes?

I love how perfume can move us, in time, in place, emotionally. A special link to our memories. Perfumes can speak to us, if only we listen. I like our GALLIVANT perfumes to have a sort of dreamy quality – a little mysterious and elusive. In terms of composition, I love to feel the texture and character of naturals, but synthetics and nature-substitutes are an essential part of modern perfumery in my view, both technically but also for sustainability.

3. What annoys you in perfumes?

Ha! I don’t like cynical feeling perfumes. I suspect we all know one when we smell it! I also feel there’s a little too much emphasis on loud, noisy perfumes right now. Sometimes I think they could do with turning the volume down a bit – it can all feel a bit aggressive to me, all a bit ‘shouty’.

4. The first place you apply perfume on is…?

My inner arm. Pulse point on the wrist, but also in the inner crease of the arm - good blood circulation there to warm up the scent

5. Your personal perfume would definitely feature the note of…?

That’s a hard one to answer – I love many many, raw materials and it depends so much on how they’re used – but I think if I have to choose just one it’d be iris/orris. It’s sophisticated, but at the same time has a raw beauty, and is infinitely fascinating to smell. So many different facets to it. We work with both the iris pallida, but also irisgermanica – gorgeous!

6. Your recent perfume crush?

I recently discovered a new blood orange ( raw material ) which comes from the slopes of Mount Etna, on Sicily. The rich volcanic soil makes it especially lively, juicy and full of character – and I’ll be using that in something coming out a bit later this year. In terms of ‘finished’ perfumes, I’ve just bought myself a bottle of Gloam by AESOP ( perfumer, Barnabé Fillion – who I met in Paris many years ago, clever and interesting). Mimosa, saffron, iris, cumin – it’s a beautifully ethereal composition

7. When you forget to apply perfume…?

Sometimes it’s nice to have a day off from wearing perfume ! Gives the nose a moment to recharge and reboot. And then you realise something is missing!

8. You can be gifted with a lifetime supply of all perfumes from one brand. Which one do you choose?

Well, apart from my own GALLIVANT? I guess I’d choose the perfumery of HERMÈS – many of their elegant perfumes have been loyal friends over the years

9. Which perfume do you miss?

Dzing! From my old days at L’ARTISAN, by Olivia Giacobetti. That was a very unique and special creation – in many ways I see now how ahead of its time it was. It had a cult following and embodied some of the character of that brand - so I’m personally sad that it’s no longer being made.