Heritage
A house, in its own words
The lineage of Shama Perfumes can be traced to a Mughal‑era atelier founded in 1639 by Badi Al Zaman, a perfumer who supplied scented oils to the imperial court. Historical records of that early enterprise survive in a family‑maintained ledger that describes the preparation of rose, sandalwood and musk attars for royal ceremonies. Over the next three centuries the business passed through successive generations, adapting to shifting trade routes while preserving the core techniques of maceration and distillation. In the mid‑20th century a related entity called Central Perfumers began operating in Bombay, documenting its activity from 1965 onward. The contemporary brand, Shama Perfumes, was formally incorporated in 1977 by three brothers – Zaid, Afzal and Salman Shama – who combined the family’s attar heritage with a desire to create bottled fragrances for a broader market. The brothers opened a modest workshop in Mumbai’s Dadar district, where they sourced raw materials from regional growers and began experimenting with synthetic accords to complement traditional extracts. By the 1990s the company had expanded its distribution network across India, supplying both retail outlets and wholesale partners. The turn of the millennium saw Shama entering the Gulf region, first through export channels and later by establishing a physical presence. In 2022 the brand opened its inaugural boutique at the Galleria Mall in Dubai, marking a milestone that linked its Indian roots with a growing international clientele. Throughout its history, Shama has balanced reverence for historic attar recipes with a willingness to explore new olfactory combinations, a duality that continues to shape its evolution. Shama Perfumes approaches scent as a narrative rather than a fleeting trend. The brand’s creative brief emphasizes balance – the harmony between natural extracts and modern aroma chemicals, between the intensity of an attar and the wearability of a spray. Its designers cite a belief that fragrance should accompany memory, marking moments without overwhelming them. Sustainability features in the philosophy as well; the house prefers ingredients that can be traced to certified farms in Gujarat, Mysore and the Arabian Peninsula, and it avoids animal‑derived musks. Transparency is another pillar: product labels list the proportion of natural versus synthetic components, allowing consumers to understand the composition. The company also encourages personal experimentation, offering fragrance layering suggestions that respect the original structure of each scent. This ethos of quiet confidence, rooted in heritage yet open to contemporary expression, guides every new launch.