1. What is your earliest memory of a scent or fragrance?
I have many scented memories, from my mother's cooking to my grandmother's rose garden. At the same time, being a kid of the 80s, I still have fond memories of the beautiful and powerful fragrances that were introduced in that decade, many of which are still out today.
2. What route did you take to become a perfumer?
Becoming a perfumer is a journey that starts at an early age and after many years of studying it takes a lot of trial and effort to create something beautiful. It is said that there are fewer perfumers than astronauts in the world.
In my case, I studied International and European Studies followed by a master's degree in finance and after many years I spent working in the luxury industry in London, I decided, upon my return to Greece, to grant one of my wishes: the creation of a bespoke fragrance.
That very first fragrance, named "Sillage Royal", was the reason I turned my passion into a business. Since then, I am the creative director of my collection and I worked with many perfumers, like Chris Maurice and Miguel Matos, to realize a beautiful collection of unique fragrances.
3. What is your greatest source of inspiration?
Greece for sure. Our country has a rich history and nature that inspires me every day. We are really blessed to live in this country, everywhere I find myself there is something beautiful and picturesque.
4. Which fragrance do you wish you had created?
There are many fragrances I wish I had conceived. L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain is one of them as I adore the story behind it.
One late afternoon, Jacques Guerlain was promenading with his wife, when at a particular moment he noticed the blue sky when the sun already set but the stars were not yet lit.
This in-between moment was the inspiration for a feminine fragrance dedicated to his wife.
5. How would you describe the scent of your home?
It is very hard for me to choose one scent for my home, as I gather many samples that I try throughout the day in order to test them.
I also have a home fragrance collection of 100% soy candles: "Oriental Wood" which is sensual and woody, "White Blossom" which is vanilla and almond based, and "Athenian Essence" which is bitter orange tree centered.
6. What is your favorite fragrance of all time?
I have many loved fragrances over different times, seasons, and times of day depending on my mood and emotions. It is difficult to choose one, as they all reflect a different part of life. Just like my collection.
For example "Sillage Royal" is powerful and confident, "Omen" is mysterious, "Rose Poetique" is romantic, and "Meθexis" exudes sensuality.
7. What is your favorite fragrance that you designed? Can you tell us a little about it?
All of my creations are very special to me since they all reflect a different part of myself. Special mentions go to "Omen", Finalist in Art & Olfaction Awards (Independent Category) 2022, and "Anthem", Finalist in Fragrance Foundation UK Awards (Perfume Extraordinaire Category) 2022.
I cannot resist mentioning "Meθexis", a fig-centered fragrance blended with cocoa and honey that creates a mouth-watering delicious scent.
It brings back memories of a summer afternoon when the sun sets and kisses your skin sweetly while enjoying the sea view under a fig tree.
8. How do you see the future of perfumery?
Perfumery has evolved a lot during the past few decades. For almost a century, designer fragrances have been very popular followed by celebrity fragrances
Since 2010, we see the era of perfumers and niche fragrance brands on the rise.
The interest returns to the actual scent (the juice) and in the process of making a fragrance: the importance of both the creative direction (pulling perfumers to different directions) and the perfumer's talent towards the creation of something unique.
Manos Gerakinis Athens
Story and Philosophy
Founded in 2014, Manos Gerakinis Perfumes is the first niche luxury Greek Perfume House. Every single one of our creations is a reflection of nature, history, and art, infused with genuine emotion.
These elements are artistically blended together with the aesthetic sensibility of our founder and creative director, Manos Gerakinis.
Manos's childhood memories of the harvest of roses, saffron, tobacco, labdanum, and honey, his flair for painting, his sophisticated sense of style, as well as his fascination with history, philosophy, and culture became the cornerstones of our House.
Manos Gerakinis Perfumes embrace the significance of individuality, diversity, and self-expression while exploring universal emotions and timeless beauty.
For this, we do not hesitate to break boundaries between East and West, masculine and feminine, simplicity and extravagance. Passionate about artistic perfumery and committed to defying preconceptions, we are ever eager to try new creative paths.
Our founder's personal creative journey started as early as his formative childhood years in Kavala, Greece, defined by the varied cultural influences of this historical city, and of his family that originated in Istanbul.
Following an adolescence filled with drawing lessons, a fondness for music and poetry, and even staging plays at school, Manos obtained a University degree in International and European Studies.
After finishing his postgraduate studies in London, he decided to remain there; he lived in this vibrant city for more than a decade, working in the luxury sector, while often traveling around the world.
During that time, Manos developed his eclectic taste, an eye for detail, an appreciation for fine craftsmanship, and a profound respect for all cultures.
Upon returning to Greece in 2012, and after spending months strictly in uniform during his military service, he -more than ever- realized the importance of both fashion, and perfume, as means of self-expression.
He decided to stay in Greece and pursue a professional activity in that spirit: creating pieces of wearable art that would reflect various moods and sentiments.
To mark the new period in his life, he orchestrated the creation of a bespoke perfume: initially meant only for him, it was a captivating, powerful fragrance encompassing his favorite spicy, floral, woody, and ambery notes.
This head-turning scent caused so much admiration whenever he wore it, that it gave him the idea to establish his own Perfume House.
That particular fragrance would become the first release of Manos Gerakinis Perfumes, under the name "Sillage Royal".
It was the beginning of a new, exciting journey that eventually led to more supreme-quality fragrances, precious limited editions, important artistic collaborations, and an undiminished passion for envisioning the perfumes to come.
Moreover, the experience of Manos Gerakinis's creative universe has been becoming increasingly multisensory: next to our beautiful perfumes, we also propose high-quality candles and fine silk scarves, enriching the olfactory journey with sight and touch.
