A fragrance bomb as Nizams meet Nawabs

Hyderabad: Breaking glass ceilings and gender stereotypes is entrepreneur Astha Suri, whose curated perfumes and fragrances, labelled under her homegrown perfume brand Naso, are rooted in Indian indigeneity, albeit with a modern touch.

Suri, saying that she started the company to give “Indian scents a modern touch and makes noses feel and breathe better”, terms Naso “an aura, a state of mind.”

Naso has partnered with Noorkari, a brand of Chikankari handicrafts of Awadh, to bring together Lucknowi opulence with Nizami splendour, or, as the launch event was titled, ‘When the Nizams met the Nawabs’.

Through Naso, Suri has introduced eco-friendly luxury through the old art of perfume-making, and their scents have been the talk of the town, celebrating green grandeur. With the first rains marking the end of a sultry summer, Naso is now making its way to the city markets.

“The scent of earth after rainfall; the rich softness of saffron; the freshness of citrus — Kannauj’s vocabulary in attar comes from its rich and royal history, which, over time, became India’s answer to opulence around the world. These scents have travelled far and wide, earning their place amongst globally ranked perfumeries. The old distilleries that scented the wardrobes of the Nawabs continue their stories for the audience of today through the new patrons of the art,” the company said.

“The Lucknowi art of perfume-making goes beyond the ambit, with one particular fourth generation perfumery — Naso — becoming a formidable niche player in sustainable perfumery for a global audience,” it stated.

Naso sticks to green design in perfume making and branches out into recognising attar as a sustainable compound. “All our scents have psychology-aiding benefits,” the company claimed.

Through Naso’s range of eau de parfum, concentrated oils and luxury candles, the firm aimed to spread the feel of Naso in every home. With perfumes crafted at their in-house distilleries in north India, Naso’s vision seeks a new normality in perfume culture and conscious culture design.

“A particular scent can invoke something very specific and subjective in each of us. Scents have a way of being a treasure trove of memories while being shamans that heal our minds and body. It only makes sense for something so sacred to be sustainable too,” said Astha Suri.

Also wearing the hat of an interior designer, Suri understands that “be it interiors or perfumery, conscious design can’t be escaped by any creator who wants to work towards conservation.”

“Diving into making attar the base of all our scents, we derive green perfumery from being accessible to the consumer. We are passionate about the environment, thus, green design plays a pivotal role in our brand language. We use the method of steam distillation, the age-old hand-held distillation and procure the natural extract or herb and spice. Being extremely waste conscious, we follow practices to ensure the renewal and recycling of all our produce. We believe in renewing energy as we carry forward operations at our distillery. We aim to work towards becoming a 100 per cent sustainable perfumery,” she said.

Saffron infused in musk and amber, mint infused in rose and lemon, blackcurrant infused in lilac, bergamot tamarind, pepperwood, and much more, with the goodness of naturally distilled perfumery concocted with essential oils, natural attars and healing herbs — Naso’s journey to build a path for sustainable perfumery has been rooted in nature’s best offerings.

This is seen in their exquisite collections like Casa, a range that makes one feel at home in one’s skin. Not to mention the Naso exclusive Profumi il Sesso, a specially curated range for sensual healing.

“Mud infused in Oudh is one of my favourite scents from Naso. It’s like bottling the nostalgia of the first rain shower of the season. Pure genius,” said Ritika M, a consumer.