Graham & Pott

Graham & Pott traces its origins to 1890 and an unusual beginning: it started as an English cloth manufacturer, not a perfumer. As the story goes, a Mr. Pott protected fabric bound for long sea voyages by folding sheets of marmalade-scented paper between every meter of cloth, and when buyers received their goods they were struck by the zesty orange note that had traveled with it. That happy accident led to the house's first fragrance, and over more than a century the cloth maker reinvented itself as a high-end parfumerie prized by connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.

The house signature is warm and stately, built on spice and woods with a soft, powdery finish. Cinnamon and warm spice give it depth, while bergamot, Amalfi lemon, blood mandarin, and a thread of Indian saffron keep the opening luminous and refined. Begin with Sun King for its radiant character, Amethyste Sereine for something calmer and more composed, or the alpaca-inspired Huacaya and Majestic Alpaca for the softer, cozier corner of the range. It wears like heritage worn lightly.