History makes scents

SMN perfumes certainly stand out from the other brands. Most fragrances have between 8 and 12 per cent alcohol - those from SMN have just 3 per cent, so the liquid doesn't evaporate nearly so quickly - and that helps them last all day.

The new shop on the second floor of Gaysorn Plaza boasts an extensive range of herbal elixirs and soaps as well, but little can distract from the 400-year perfume-making tradition of Florence.

The store's general manager, Timothy Gonzales, is happy to retell the tale.

The first SMN pharmacy was founded in 1612 by a group of Florence-based monks who made medicines and beauty products using local herbs and natural ingredients "the old way".

Their concoctions attracted common citizens and powerful figures alike, but the friars' big break came later in the Renaissance when they began making history's first eau de Cologne for Catherine di Medici, the Florentine in the French royal court.

Acqua della Regina - the Water of the Queen - is still available at SMN shops.

SMN is today overseen by Eugenio Alphandery and has left behind none of the monks' traditions, including production by hand.

Alphandery stopped in Bangkok five years ago on his way to Tokyo, where SMN items have long been popular, and was surprised to see how much Thais love Italian fashion. He passed this useful wisdom on to Enzo Massimo Chiappa, who is now the president of SMN.

"About 20 years ago," Chiappa says, "the emperor and empress of Japan went to Florence and stayed at a hotel that used SMN products. They tried them and liked them, and ever since, the Japanese have loved SMN, with shops opening in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. We get lots of Japanese visitors to our original shop in Florence.

"Thais know about SMN already because they like travelling to Italy and Japan, so we decided to open a shop in Bangkok too."

SMN offers 42 types of perfumes - 13 for men and 29 for women.

The fragrances come from the essential oils of plants and flowers growing in Britain, France, Brazil, Australia and around Asia.

Gonzales points out SMN's most popular perfume, Angels of Florence, which was introduced in 2006 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the great Arno River flood and honour the heroes who came to the rescue.

Florence's worst flood in four centuries killed hundreds and damaged and destroyed millions of dollars' worth of art masterpieces and antiquities, but the young Italians who became known as the Angeli del Fango - the Mud Angels - saved many lives and restored many artworks.

Angel of Florence combines the fragrances of jasmine, lilac, rose and gardenia with strong peach, melon and violet notes, followed by suggestions of citrus, vanilla and subtle white musk.

"It's one of the most expensive perfumes here because part of the proceeds from sales goes to the Angels of Florence Foundation, which supports the continuing restoration of Florentine monuments," says Gonzales.

For men, Gonzales recommends Fieno, Sandalo, Melograno and Cuba.

Fieno, which women might also like to wear, recalls the scent of freshly cut hay, mixed with an undertone of myrtle and a light hint of wild rose.

Sandalo and Melograno are "very masculine" perfumes, he says. They have the essence of Indian sandalwood, the tree that's also used in furniture like brides' trousseaus, lending their scent to the clothing stored inside, and burned as incense.

And, in Buddhist lore, sandalwood was used to build the carriage of the Sun.

Melograno smells like pomegranate, a plant that originated in Persia but was celebrated in ancient Egypt and appears in many great works of art as a symbol of wealth and abundance. Pomegranate could even be the "forbidden fruit" of the Bible.

Cuba mingles the aromas of tobacco and leather to create decisive and dry undertones, the perfect gift for a gentleman.

Gonzales usually directs sophisticated Thai women to Rosa, Zagara and Golden Musk, the first two for the younger set and the last for ladies in their 40s.

Rosa allures with the delicate scent of the cabbage rose, which signifies love, honour and nobility. The flowers grow on the hills of Tuscany. Zagara has the sweet, inebriating aroma of the flowering orange trees of sunny Sicily and evokes bright afternoons and the song of crickets.

Gold Musk is infused with spice and citrus notes and is a beautiful deep orange.

"What about a perfume for journalists?" I ask.

Gonzales pauses, and then fetches a few bottles from a showcase.

"You need a perfume that's a little hot," he tells me, "because you're like a boy who has a very masculine way of life. I recommend either Melograno or Fieno for you. Sincerely, Fieno is perfect for you!"

You can call Santa Maria Novella at Gaysorn Plaza at (02) 656 1099.