THE STORY

Chimphli

Chimphli takes its name from the Garuda king's celestial home, set high in a kapok tree in Thai mythology. Thorny kapok trees also appear in images of the underworld, where wrongdoers must climb them. Flowers, nectar and pain therefore share the same setting. The perfume follows that interesting connection through kapok flower, beeswax, warm spice and wood, giving its sweetness a darker texture.

The tree also belongs to everyday life in northern Thailand. Its dried flower stamens are used in local cooking, and its soft fibre fills pillows and bedding. These familiar uses bring the tree of legend a little closer. Lemon and pink pepper introduce the fragrance with a bright, sharp freshness, before Jamaican rum adds a warmer, spirit-like body to the citrus.

Beeswax, cumin and kapok flower become clear at the heart. Beeswax has a soft, substantial sweetness, while the flower carries a gently earthy detail. Cumin adds warmth and a more intimate quality. Together, they give the floral heart several things to notice: tender petals, waxy sweetness and spice that makes the flowers feel richer than they first appeared.

Ambrette seed, Thai oud from Trat and immortelle support the base. Ambrette brings a soft animalic nuance, oud adds woody depth, and immortelle connects a caramel-like warmth with the beeswax and rum already present. The bright beginning gradually becomes fuller and smoother, with spice still moving through the sweetness. Chimphli keeps both sides of its namesake tree close: the softness that draws attention to a flower, and the thorns discovered on looking a little further.