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PP: THE HAWAS CHAPTER: HAWAS BLANCHE AND HAWAS CRYSTELLE MARK A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE COLLECTION. WHAT INSPIRED THESE CREATIONS, AND WHAT DISTINGUISHES THEIR OLFACTORY IDENTITIES? IK: Hawas already carries strong expectations, so this was a project we approached with real care. Blanche and Crystelle are our first Hawas creations under I’M RASASI. Blanche explores a brighter, fruity freshness, with citrus, aromatic, woody and musky facets. Crystelle moves into a more oriental, spicy and musky direction. We wanted two distinct personalities that could also work together. They were developed with layering in mind, allowing people to enjoy each individually or combine them. That freedom to make the fragrance your own was important to us. PP: BOTH FRAGRANCES UNDERWENT A 20-MONTH DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY. WHAT WERE THE KEY CREATIVE DECISIONS THAT SHAPED THEIR EVOLUTION FROM CONCEPT TO FINAL COMPOSITION? IK: One important decision was to give both fragrances their own identity while considering how they would come together through layering. That added another dimension to the development. The scent Hawas Crystelle was designed by 16-year-old son Yahya Kalsekar. We also had to think about the complete experience: what the scent communicates and how the bottle expresses that feeling. Twenty months is a considerable commitment, but I believe a fragrance needs time. There is always pressure to move quickly. For us, the priority was to reach a result we felt confident putting our name behind. PP: YOUR 16-YEAR-OLD SON PLAYED A ROLE IN DEVELOPING A FRAGRANCE, BRINGING A FRESH GENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE PROCESS. HOW DID HIS IDEAS INFLUENCE THE CREATION, AND WHAT DID THE EXPERIENCE MEAN TO YOU AS A FATHER AND PERFUMER? IK: Yahya brought the perspective of someone from the generation we are trying to understand. That has real value, because experience can sometimes make you look at things in familiar ways. His involvement encouraged me to step back and consider how a young person might connect with a fragrance today. As a father, sharing that creative process was very special. “One important decision was to give both fragrances their own identity while considering how they would come together through layering” P A R F U M P L U S 20