The last handmade perfume shop
The perfumer of Belgrade is trying to fix what ruined the world
Nenad Yovanov: “We have remained true to tradition, our passion, and armed with our determination to continue this work.”
AFP
Sava perfumery, located in the historical center of Belgrade, is the last handmade perfume shop that has been scented for three generations with sweet scents that tickle the senses of customers and tourists.
The Serbian capital has changed over the years, but time has not left its mark on this store, where skills are passed down from father to grandfather.
This craft is the passion of the Yovanov family, even if it does not provide them with a decent living.
“We have remained true to tradition, our passion, and armed with our determination to continue this work, which sometimes does not provide enough income,” says their elder Nenad Yovanov, 71, as he blends perfume in a lab-like backroom.
This perfume was born during World War II, but did not bear its current name until a decade later, when the Yugoslav authorities authorized the operation of the private foundation.
The handmade perfume shops in Belgrade witnessed its "golden age" in the fifties and sixties of the last century, recalls Nenad Yovanov.
However, the former Yugoslavia opened up to imports, and industrial fragrances soon overshadowed production.
The situation was made worse by the sanctions imposed on Belgrade in the 1990s, when Yugoslavia was bloodily splintered.
“They started closing one by one, and in the end there was only us left,” he tells Al-Attar.
When the customer enters the small wood-panelled shop, Nenad or his son Nemanya, who works in the cinema industry, helps him find what he wants on the shelves stocked with glass bottles.
“We don't have brand names," Nemanja says.
Our bottles do not have names, nor our covers.
So that customers can discover what they like for themselves.
The perfumer inquires about what the customer likes about perfumes, between floral and fruity or oud scents, before spraying the perfume with an old-fashioned atomizer.
The customer is advised to give a little exposure so that the fragrance interacts with his skin.
The majority of the ingredients come from France, the birthplace of the perfume industry.
The store is holding on thanks to its loyal customers as well as the increasing interest of tourists in this “living museum,” as Nenad likes to call it.
Nenad Yovanov:
• “The store is steadfast thanks to its loyal customers, and the interest of tourists in this (living museum).”
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