GALLIVANT

- verb informal 

To go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment

GALLIVANT is a multi award-winning independent perfume-maker from London, founded and created by Nick Steward, with a collection of travel-inspired playful, thoughtful, unisex fragrances. Perfumed escapism.

GALLIVANT is about celebrating simple pleasures, and the human desire to be free to explore the world around us. Places, sights, sounds, smells. 

GALLIVANT is about taking the pulse of places we love. It's an antidote to our fast-paced lives ... . Slow-paced, it's about being in the moment, appreciating the small details and the everyday beauty of the world. #slowlife #slowperfume

The fragrances capture the feelings and emotions of wanderlust and escapism.

With a sustainably-minded 'less is more' design ethos, we believe that a quality perfume speaks for itself; it doesn't need to be loud and flashy. 

Gallivanting is fun and pleasurable and something everyone can do.

Fragrances made by humans, for fellow humans.

#PerfumedEscapism

 

NICK STEWARD, THE FOUNDER

Nick Steward - founder GALLIVANT perfumes, Hackney London studio

Nick has two decades of hands-on experience in perfume making in London and Paris. From creating for big global brands, he went on to become Product & Creative Director of the pioneering cult house L’Artisan Parfumeur. Bored by the posturing of many brands, he devised GALLIVANT to get back to basics. His collection of unisex, gender-neutral eau de parfum brings a thoughtful, honest and unfussy approach to perfumery.

"I wanted to do something clever, playful and interesting, avoiding all the froth and hype ...  deceptively simple. Slow perfumery - focused on beautiful perfumes, honest materials. I'm a big believer that quality always wins in the end. It's about provenance and craft, taking the time to do things properly. A certain simplicity and elegance. The packaging is chic, understated luxe. Less is more. Quality over quantity. 

As someone who's been lucky to have travelled widely, who’s lived in various countries, this is my celebration of many different cultures around the world.

I want our perfumes to have a dreamy quality. A feeling of escapism via perfume ..."

 

THE MAKERS

Nick, the founder of the brand, is proud to work with a group of true artisan markers. And the most original, fun and interesting perfumers in the fragrance business. 

GALLIVANT's products are all handmade in Britain. In East London, Kent, and the Cotswolds.

Perfumer karine chevallier gallivant
Karine Chevallier  
Photo © Serge Nicolas + Elisa Smalinsky / Work Division, Paris

Parisian Karine Chevallier has more than two decades of experience as a perfumer, including at Guerlain. She's the creator of Berlin, the much-loved Istanbul, Art & Olfaction Awards Finalist London, our award-winning 'Best Niche Fragrance' Los Angeles and Tel Aviv.

Perfumer Giorgia Navarra gallivant perfume
Giorgia Navarra

Working from her lab in the Veneto region of Italy, Giorgia is the perfumer behind the critically-acclaimed Brooklyn by GALLIVANT. She is the protégée of Master Perfumer and 'King of Niche' Bertrand Duchaufour.

perfumer Nicolas bonneville gallivant perfume

Nicolas Bonneville

For Tokyo (another award-winning perfume!), we work with Paris-based Nicolas Bonneville. He’s created fragrances for Acqua di Parma, L’Atelier Givenchy and cult Parisian house Astier de Villatte.

Nicolas was the pupil of Master Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, and also trained under Françoise Caron.

star perfumer Ralf Schwieger Frederic Malle Hermes Atelier Cologne Merveilles

 Ralf Schwieger

To create Bukhara - Fragrance Foundation Finalist ('Perfume Extraordinaire') , Nick worked with his friend of many years, New York-based star perfumer Ralf Schwieger.

Says Nick, “I’m so happy Ralf worked with us to bring this perfume to life. He’s obviously famous, especially for his work for Frederic Malle and Hermès, so I feel very proud that he agreed; as we’re a young, emerging brand. I’ve always appreciated Ralf’s sense of humour, his relaxed approach to his craft (and his evident talent), married with his precision, as well as his impish sense of fun and curiosity.”

Adds Ralf, “of course I was intrigued and curious – I love to travel, but I didn’t know Uzbekistan or Bukhara – so it’s been a journey of discovery for me too.”

luca Maffei perfumer creator Naples GALLIVANT perfume fragrance

Luca Maffei

For the creation of the the 10th GALLIVANT fragrance, ( Art+Olfaction Award Finalist) founder Nick called on Luca Maffei, star of the Italian indie perfume scene. Luca composes and creates from his atelier in central Milan.

Says Nick “I’m thrilled Luca worked on creating the Naples perfume: I needed his Italian soul, that sprezzatura touch and innate sense of style to capture a place with such character. I’ve long admired Luca’s work – he’s got a playful signature - and above all I love his happy-go-lucky charm, which is evident in all his formulas.”

Adds Luca "With the creation of this perfume, I wanted to celebrate the two big life forces of Naples: God and the sea. I tried to give a smell to Nick’s idea of Neapolitan decadence, to the city’s vivid colours, to its timeless charm. I paired accords that reminded me of its salty sea breeze and wandering along the lungomare, with a transparent, almost white incense to evoke sacred mysteries."

 

TRUE ARTISANS

Nick develops the collection with perfumery’s finest materials – composed at the Art et Parfum private lab and sourcing house in Cabris, in the hills above Grasse, France, founded by legendary perfumer Edmond Roudnitska (creator of Dior's Eau Sauvage, Diorella, Diorissimo as well as fragrances for Hermès, Rochas and others).

The fragrance oils are handcrafted in France and then the perfumes are matured, macerated and bottled in the Cotswolds, England in a genuinely artisanal, small-batch, human process – done with love and attention.