It often takes one to step away from their work to recharge and return stronger than ever. This is undoubtedly the case with Christopher Chong, the new artist in residency at THAMEEN LONDON.
True artists have times of rigorous work, fruitful harvest, and complete stillness when they can replenish their souls, mind, and heart with new emotions, visions, and stories to tell. Christopher Chong was in no rush to jump into the world of fragrance after taking a creative break from it all and escaping into the country where after many years of endless travels, meetings, presentations, and life in the spotlight, he was able to let go and immerse into nature fully. But the time has come as he takes over in his position as artist in residency with full force, reinventing and reimagining the future of THAMEEN LONDON, creating a link between the past and the present, celebrating tradition with an added layer of modernity and pizzazz.
His new vision for THAMEEN LONDON is about subversion, a new order of luxury where each fragrance is created as a genderful idea, an olfactory representation of social tensions, the naughtiness of British culture, and deconstruction.
A style Christopher has never worked in before, challenging himself to combine his extensive skills and interest in history research and telling a new story that can be loved, felt, and worn by everyone.
His first work for the house, created in collaboration with perfumer Alexandra Carlin, was Insignia, a reinvention of the THAMEEN symbol. This blend celebrated the passing of the Garter Star, which the Royal Navy presented to King George VI of the United Kingdom in 1923. Queen Elizabeth II was appointed to the Order of the Garter in 1947 by her father, who presented her with the same Garter Star. The composition opens with a luminous blend of bitter orange and whiskey accord, blended seamlessly with milky figs, roses, and geranium on a smooth base of sandalwood and leather. A mix of the new and old olfactory worlds, signifying a new beginning.
While Fanfare, the second release in collaboration with perfumer, Bruno Jovanovic, has broken all the boundaries of the expected and celebrated the importance of Covent Garden in British history via a creation unlike anything else, a cologne hybrid with a concentration of 25%. A dewy, humid blast of citrus in which you can almost taste the pulpy lemon softly transitions into a smooth taste of vermouth with a touch of gin created with a blend of rosemary and neroli as if you sat down for an afternoon cocktail in the heart of the flower market.
Bravi, maestro Chong, you came back more vital than ever, and the future of THAMEEN is looking brighter than ever.
Olya Bar | Social & Content Manager
