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Portia

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Hi there APJ,

There has been a lot of buzz around the Fort & Manlé brand in the last couple of years. The fragrances are excellent and not stereotypically niche. When you hold a bottle in your hand you can feel the heart and love that’s gone into creating something so beautiful, and then when you spritz! That’s when the real fireworks start. I’m an unashamed fan of Rasei and his work. We’ve met and I found him a gentle giant, sweet and charming. The way he has risen above the acrimonious business split and forged ahead with the brand speaks volumes about his integrity and dedication. The fact that he’s sexy A F doesn’t hinder matters either.

Impressions De Giverny by Fort & Manlé 2018

Impressions De Giverny by Rasei Fort

Today, in honour of the Fort & Manlé newest release Impressions De Giverny, we get to have a little chat with Rasei.

LuckyScent gives these featured accords and says:
Yuzu, bergamot, red apple, magnolia, rose, tuberose, osmanthus, orange blossom, fig leaf, coriander, tulip, neroli, mango, ylang, ambergris, benzoin, musk
Impressions de Giverny takes its inspiration from two sources: Japanese botany and abstract floral perfumery. The way these two themes intersect is beautifully handled…. We’re just blown away by how perfectly the perfumer has combined all these minute brushstrokes of fruits, flowers, and greenery to come up with something that, despite being impressionistic and abstract in form, feels utterly coherent on the skin.

Rasei Fort Interview

Do you have fragrant childhood memories?

My grandma distilled roses into oil, that was her business. So, the scent of roses is an obvious one.
I also spent my younger days on an orange and mandarin orchard that spread across 19 acres.

As a kid I had a bottle of Fahrenheit by Dior that my cousin had given me. Even though it was empty, I would take the cap off and smell it often. I think that is when my fascination with fragrance began.

What made Rasei Fort take a leap into perfume creation?

For some reason, I just felt that perfume making would come naturally to me. The same way I felt about juggling and playing the drums. Sounds funny but I knew I could juggle before I even tried. Same with playing the drums. I had the same feeling about creating perfume. It just seemed like a natural thing for me to do.

How are you coping with Fort & Manlé’s rise to prominence?

Coping well, just a bit busier. Trying to keep production up without compromising quality. Something I would never do. I do everything myself, every stage of the process including bottling and packaging. I’m a bit OCD about it. So, keeping up with the demand is the toughest adjustment.

Who are your perfumer heroes and why?

I have quite a few but my strongest influence is Jean-Claude Ellena. My own style is a bit different, but his unwillingness to compromise I can relate to. I would flush something down the toilet rather than settle.

Where are Fort & Manlé being sold?

LuckyScent (Scent Bar) in the US, Peony in my hometown of Melbourne, Neroli in Budapest, Hungary, Lianne Tio Haute Parfumerie in the Netherlands plus several locations in Dubai & Saudi Arabia and of course at the Fort & Manlé website.

Which is the one frag from your brand that you wear most often?

I don’t actually wear my fragrances very often because I’m always busy creating new ones. Getting a scent right can be a very time consuming and lengthy process of testing. So I need my skin for that and don’t like to muddy the waters.

What news is there for Fort & Manlé or even for Rasei Fort?

Lots of exciting things are in the works. But there are two rules in life:

1. Never give out all the information.