from gallivant founder nick steward
The Naples story
“Who doesn't dream of Italy? The people, the food, the style, and romance. I love the idea of ‘il dolce far niente’ (the sweetness of doing nothing!) In particular I’m drawn to the south – for its colour, effervescence, cheerful chaos, its anarchic darker spirit. A visit to Naples always gets the heart racing and makes you feel alive …”
" A place with a raucous pulsating spirit, a working port city with a noble and glorious past. Salty sea air. The lingering warmth of late afternoon sun. Church candles, smoke, incense. The darkness of narrow, winding backstreets. Faded grandeur, a whiff of decadence. The pleasures of people-watching: Neapolitans dressed in gorgeous tailored clothes. Sartorial sharpness, old-school glamour … "
The Perfume Notes:
Naples is a citrus, woody, incense perfume
Top: Fresh and spicy in the opening,
with ginger, pink pepper CO2, bergamot from neighbouring Calabria, sea salts and airy ozonic notes
Mid: A smoky heart with incense resinoid, fumencens (a material which has a 'burnt' note, and which reinforces the light-dark / chiaroscuro contrast of the fragrance), cardamom, nutmeg, and labdanum
Base: And a woody drydown of guaiac wood, ‘green molecule’ clearwood (in combination with natural patchouli), birch, vetiver and amber
Meet the maker
For the creation of the Naples fragrance, founder Nick Steward worked with Luca Maffei, star of the Italian indie perfume scene. Luca composes and creates from his atelier in Milan.
Says Nick “I’m thrilled Luca worked on this project with me: 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."
Naples by GALLIVANT is compounded in Milan, Italy and then hand-finished in England
