The height of perfume snobbery

MANILA, Philippines - The growling bear of 24 Old Bond Street has risen from hibernation and it is looking—and smelling—dandy and dapper, bearing fine fragrances aplenty.

The bear has long been the mascot of 200-year-old British perfume house Atkinsons, and it has left a trail of exquisite scents developed and worn with and for royalty since it has been restored to its glory in 2013. Fresh from its opening in Hong Kong last week, today, Atkinsons arrives in Manila.

Its tale is also that of its legendary clientele. Atkinsons fans include French Revolution leader Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington, and the Tsar of Russia. It all began in the spring of 1799, when an enterprising young James Atkinson opened a shop of fine fragrances with rose-scented bear grease balms. The shop had a real, live bear as its mascot, separating the men from the boys. Such antics ensured Atkinsons’ reputation was made.

In 1800, he released his next scent, the Eau de Cologne—fresh yet spicy and warm with a lingering sillage, unlike the Italian original that had been solely used as a post-shave tonic. King George IV caught a whiff of what he deemed to convey the confidence of the British Empire. He loved it so much that he proclaimed Atkinsons as Official Perfumer of the Royal Court of England.

The Eau de Cologne is everything the modern cologne smells like today. In the Atkinsons house, its popularity started the first of four collections, The Emblematic Collection, comprised of Eau de Cologne’s 21st century successor, 24 Old Bond Street (named after its Art Deco headquarters), a cocktail of juniper, rose and black tea, and smoky, oak-casked whisky accord; and its quintessence, Triple Extract, triple-distilled for a fuller character and dramatic contrast.

Seven fragrances created in Atkinson’s roaring interwar years have been reinvented and updated for the Legendary Collection, namely Love in Idleness, the neo-Victorian orris-violet accord and woody chypre dry down created as the scent of love at first sight; The Excelsior Bouquet, a high-spirited masculine blend of flint, sage, and spices; and Amber Empire, carved from the mineral’s accord and drifts of earthy oolong tea.

The rest of the fragrances from the collection are associated with some historical figures. The Odd Fellow’s Bouquet, inspired by a typical St. James gentleman’s club, was worn by the warrior Lawrence of Arabia. The 19th century’s stylish set favorite Fashion Decree, inspired by the shawls and silks from the Orient which were shipped with patchouli leaves, was worn by French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt. The British Bouquet is the scent of the father of modern menswear Beau Brummel, an interweaving of lavender, myrtle, bitter orange and lemon with leather accord. The Nuptial Bouquet is Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet in a bottle: a mix of lily of the valley, sandalwood, and violet leaves.

The most luxurious of the four, The Oud Collection, started with a request by the Crown Prince Mohammed Ali Ibrahim of Egypt, a boxer and racecar driver and adventurer to compose fragrances for himself and his paramour, Hollywood starlet Mabel Normand based on the oud he carried with him, a luxurious resin as precious as liquid gold. The ensuring bouquets Oud Save the King and Oud Save the Queen are a rich entente between England and the Middle East.

Drawing on two centuries of English eccentric, impeccable style, The Contemporary Collection picks up where Atkinsons himself left off: Rose in Wonderland, Jasmine in Tangerine, and Lavender on the Rocks are all spicy florals while Posh on the Green is fit for the modern sportsman. This new collection is created by notable perfumers including Benoist Lapouza, the nose behind YSL Live Jazz and Eau Demoiselle.

 The Atkinsons bear’s growl may have turned into a well-mannered curtsy and bow, but it’s no secret the perfume house’s scents, along with its heritage and luxury, still appeal to a discriminating few. Are you one of them?

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Atkinsons is available at the Art of Scent, East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Edsa corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong; City of Dreams, Aseana Avenue corer Entertainment City, Pasay; and Resorts World Manila, Newport Boulevard, Pasay.