When we were putting together the first selection for 52 GAGE, we had a clear instinct about what the store should smell like. Not in a literal sense - but in terms of what a fragrance said about who we were and what we stood for. It needed to be uncompromising. It needed personality. It could not be something you would find in a department store.
That is how we found Nasomatto. Or perhaps how Nasomatto found us.
A Brand That Does Not Explain Itself
Nasomatto was created by Dutch perfumer Alessandro Gualtieri, who left the mainstream fragrance industry to make something entirely on his own terms. The name means "crazy nose" in Italian - a statement of intent if there ever was one. Each fragrance is a concentrated extrait de parfum, bottled in simple heavy glass with minimal labelling. No ingredient list. No fragrance family description. No marketing copy telling you how it will make you feel.
You smell it. You decide. That is the entire proposition.
The fragrances themselves are dense, complex and deeply polarising - which is exactly the point. Black Afgano opens with cannabis and oud and does not apologise for either. Baraonda smells like a late night that got interesting. Nudiflorum is quiet and strange and stays with you for days. These are not fragrances designed to appeal to everyone. They are designed to mean something to the person wearing them.
The First in Hong Kong
When 52 GAGE opened, we were the first stockist to bring Nasomatto to Hong Kong. We did not plan for what happened next.
People who already knew the brand - collectors, fragrance obsessives, expats who had discovered Nasomatto in Paris or Milan or Amsterdam - started finding us on Instagram and Google. They came to the store not just to buy a fragrance but to see who we were. A new concept store on Gage Street carrying Nasomatto as one of its opening brands told them something about us before they had even walked through the door.
It was one of the first moments we understood what curation actually does. The brands you choose to carry speak for you before you say a word.
The Ones Who Come Back
Nasomatto has given us some of our most loyal clients. There is something about the brand that creates genuine fans - people who work their way through the collection one bottle at a time, who bring friends in specifically to smell a particular fragrance, who message us when they are running low.
One of our clients has purchased seven different Nasomatto fragrances since we opened. Seven. Each one chosen deliberately, each one worn for a specific reason or mood. That kind of relationship with a fragrance brand is rare. Nasomatto seems to attract exactly that kind of person.
What We Wear
Since we are being personal about it - Antoine wears Black Afgano every day. It is the kind of fragrance that becomes part of how you move through the world. Dense, confident, completely unmistakable. Not for everyone, which is part of why it works.
Jean wears Sadonaso - quieter on the surface, but with a depth that builds over the course of a day. The kind of fragrance people notice without being able to immediately place.
We are not neutral on Nasomatto. We never were.
Come and Smell for Yourself
The full Nasomatto collection is available to discover in person at 52 GAGE, 52 Gage Street, Central Hong Kong. We keep testers of every fragrance and we will never rush you. Finding the right Nasomatto takes time - and that is exactly how it should be.
The collection is also available online at 52gage.com, though we will always recommend smelling before you commit. Some of these fragrances need to be experienced on skin to be understood.
Where can I buy Nasomatto in Hong Kong?
Nasomatto is available at 52 GAGE, 52 Gage Street, Central Hong Kong. The full collection of extraits de parfum is available in store and online at 52gage.com.
Was 52 GAGE the first to bring Nasomatto to Hong Kong?
Yes. 52 GAGE was the first retailer in Hong Kong to stock Nasomatto when the store opened. The brand quickly became one of the most sought-after fragrances in the 52 GAGE collection.
What Nasomatto fragrances are available in Hong Kong?
52 GAGE carries the full Nasomatto collection in Hong Kong, including Black Afgano, Baraonda, Nudiflorum, Silver Musk, Narcotic V., Blamage, Duro, Absinth, Fantomas, Pardon, Sadonaso and the Sadonaso Phallic Edition.
Who created Nasomatto?
Nasomatto was created by Alessandro Gualtieri, a Dutch perfumer who left the mainstream fragrance industry to create highly concentrated extraits de parfum on his own terms. The name means "crazy nose" in Italian. Alessandro Gualtieri personally visited 52 GAGE in Hong Kong, drawn by the store's independent and non-commercial spirit.
What is the best Nasomatto fragrance to start with?
There is no single answer - Nasomatto fragrances are intentionally polarising and deeply personal. We recommend visiting 52 GAGE in Central Hong Kong to smell the full collection on your skin. Our team is happy to guide you through the range without any rush.
