The house and its idea
Güzel and Katran describe themselves as creative directors, not perfumers: they write the story of a fragrance and entrust its composition to outside noses. The house says it draws inspiration from the city it calls home, a bridge between Europe and Asia, and indeed its formulas bring together Mediterranean citrus, oud, saffron and incense. Its first internationally distributed collection dates back to 2015, and today the fragrances are grouped into themed collections.
The collections we carry
Shadow Play: Hacivat, Karagöz and Zenne
This collection takes its name from Karagöz, the Ottoman shadow theater, and borrows three of its characters. Hacivat X is the new version of the original Hacivat, which the house counts among its signature fragrances, and it's a chypre with pineapple and bergamot over woody notes. Karagoz also opens with pineapple, followed by neroli and jasmine, with vetiver and agarwood in the base. The feminine side of the trio is Zenne, a fruity floral with vanilla, ambergris and musk.
X Collection: the classics revisited
For its tenth anniversary, Nishane reformulated some of its early fragrances. One is Fan Your Flames X, born from a line by Rumi about seeking those who fan your flames, which the house describes as a blend with a warm, inviting feel. Hundred Silent Ways X keeps the structure of the original and adds leather notes. Hacivat X is also part of the X Collection.
Prestige Collection: Nefs, Shem, Mana
The Prestige Collection began in 2019 with Nefs, conceived as the house's flagship oriental; Shem, devoted to the idea of light, followed in 2021, and then came Mana. According to the house's notes, Nefs has honey, violet, saffron, whiskey and oud, while Shem pairs cardamom and Turkish rose with osmanthus, with vetiver and leather in the base. Mana, finally, brings together saffron, Turkish rose, suede, oud and incense.
Time Capsule and the standalone fragrances
The Time Capsule collection includes Papilefiko, Tempfluo, Tero and Kredo, whose names are in Esperanto and mean butterfly effect, flow of time, earth and believe. There are also standalone fragrances. Meant to Be Seen was born from the idea of a light to find again in moments when you feel invisible, and has bergamot, violet, orris butter, sandalwood and ambrettolide. In Sultan Vetiver, neroli meets three vetivers, from Java, Haiti and Bourbon, and Ege is dedicated to the Aegean Sea. Then there's Tuberóza, with Mexican tuberose, gardenia and jasmine, and Ambra Calabria, which pairs Calabrian bergamot with amber and vanilla. Suède et Safran has Iranian saffron and ambrette seeds over a musky, woody base. Lastly, Nanshe bears the name of a Sumerian goddess of fertility, water and social justice, believed to protect dreams and prophecy.
How to choose a Nishane fragrance
If you're after tea, citrus and vetiver, start with Wūlóng Chá X, Ambra Calabria and Sultan Vetiver. For pineapple in the opening, there are Hacivat X, Karagoz and Hacivat Oud. Among the florals, Tuberóza is devoted to white flowers and Meant to Be Seen to violet and iris; there's also Favonius, inspired by the wind that heralded spring in Rome, with rose, geranium, pink pepper, incense and oud. For leather, oud and resins, the picks are Mana, Pachulí Kozha, with patchouli, leather, incense and honey, and Afrika-Olifant, with incense, myrrh, leather and oud. Finally, if you prefer an amber, spicy scent, look to Nefs and Suède et Safran.
Try before the bottle
The sample set gathers 2 ml vials of most of the fragrances mentioned here, from Wūlóng Chá and Ambra Calabria to Pachulí Kozha, Afrika-Olifant, Zenne, Nefs and Shem. The Time Capsule sample set is devoted to the Esperanto-named fragrances of the Time Capsule collection, and there's also a set for the X Collection. A second sample set contains 12 vials of 2 ml, including Wūlóng Chá, Sultan Vetiver, Tuberóza, Fan Your Flames, Hundred Silent Ways, Ege, Nanshe, Hacivat and Karagoz.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nishane perfume is best for floral lovers?
For white flowers there's Tuberóza, with Mexican tuberose, gardenia, calendula and jasmine over an amber base. Favonius, on the other hand, is a rose fragrance, with geranium, pink pepper, incense and oud. Then there's Zenne, which pairs fruit and flowers with vanilla, ambergris and musk.
What does the name Nishane mean?
Nishane comes from the Turkish word nişane, which means sign, mark or symbol. For the house, it stands for the value you place on yourself and on the people you give a fragrance to. Many fragrance names have a precise meaning too: Shem, for example, means candle, and Tero means earth.
What's the difference between Hacivat and Hacivat X?
Hacivat came out in 2017 and is built on bergamot, pineapple and grapefruit. Hacivat X is its new version, created for the house's tenth anniversary as part of the X Collection, and it's a chypre with pineapple and bergamot over woody notes. There's also Hacivat Oud, which pairs oud with pineapple.
What does Wūlóng Chá X smell like?
Wūlóng Chá X is the X Collection version of Wūlóng Chá, one of the fragrances from Nishane's first international collection. Its main notes are oolong tea leaf and Mediterranean fig, and it takes its inspiration from the tea gardens of the Far East.
Which Nishane perfume is best for oud lovers?
If you love oud, start with Mana, the Prestige Collection fragrance devoted to oud and leather. In Hacivat Oud, oud meets pineapple, while Afrika-Olifant pairs it with incense, myrrh, leather and castoreum. According to the house's notes, oud also appears in the base of Nefs and Favonius.
What is the Nishane Prestige Collection?
The Nishane Prestige Collection began in 2019 with Nefs, conceived as the house's flagship oriental. Shem, devoted to the idea of light, followed in 2021, and then came Mana, created in response to requests for a rich oud and leather fragrance to add to the collection.
Which Nishane perfumes have tea or citrus notes?
For tea there's Wūlóng Chá X, built on oolong tea leaves and Mediterranean fig. Among the citrus scents, Ambra Calabria pairs Calabrian bergamot and green notes with amber and vanilla, and the house calls it an unusually fresh, leafy green amber. Sultan Vetiver opens on neroli and vetiver from Java, Haiti and Bourbon.
What sample sets does Nishane offer?
Nishane sample sets gather 2 ml vials so you can try the fragrances before choosing a full bottle. One brings together 12 vials, from Wūlóng Chá to Colognisé, and another also includes Nefs, Shem and Pachulí Kozha. There are also a set devoted to the X Collection and one to the Time Capsule, with Papilefiko, Tempfluo, Tero, Kredo and Deziro.
