Estoras: Scents for those daring to chase the horizon.
Published October 15, 2025
Meet Estoras: A homage to storytelling and adventure. The house was founded by Paul-Anton Esterházy as a tribute to his grandfather, Prince Antal Esterházy. About 100 years ago, Prince Antal embarked on a journey through the Sahara with László Almásy, the Hungarian count who would become the inspiration behind the book and film “The English Patient”.
Paul-Anton’s childhood was full of stories about Antal, and his grandfather’s character and travels eventually inspired the founding of the perfume house Estoras. The scents become a way to immortalize and pay tribute to him: to explore the time in which Antal lived – but also a way for the wearer to discover themselves: “Estoras transforms memory and legacy into scents that invite others to embrace their own journeys,” Paul explains.
When Paul develops his scents, the starting point is to tell a story. Salt-stung coastlines, lavender fields, worn racing gloves, or rain on Scottish shores are transformed into scents that stretch through time and space. The notes are carefully chosen to reflect each vision.
“With the perfumer, I shape raw materials into that narrative, refining until the scent tells its tale while leaving space for the wearer’s own.” He believes the most underrated note is vetiver, with its balance of earthiness and polish. “To me it represents honesty – never too embellished, but filled with surprising depth if you take the time to explore it.”
If Paul were to describe himself as a fragrance, he says it would be one where elegance contrasts with adventure: “fresh and spicy yet deeply woody, with a touch of leather – timeless yet alive with energy. Very much like our signature scent, ANTAL, which is a deeply personal homage from a grandson to his grandfather. A fragrance embodying refinement rooted in heritage but never still, always moving forward.”
Heritage has always had its place in Paul-Anton Esterházy’s life. He grew up in a house that used to be a monastery, which contributed to some of his most vivid scent memories: “The scent of the place is unforgettable: a mix of aged stone, wood, wax, and the faint earthiness of time itself. There is a gravitas in the air, a kind of sacred stillness, that makes me stop and inhale deeply every time I return home. It connects me instantly to generations past, reminding me that life is part of a much larger story.”
Paul-Anton describes the house’s DNA in similar terms: “complex yet discreet, timelessly elegant, quietly confident. Estoras fragrances balance sophistication with movement, refinement with a spark of adventure. They are rooted in heritage but are contemporary creations made for the journey forward,” he says. “Fragrance must be a snapshot in time – a past, a present, and a promise ahead.”
Explore Estoras today with the scents Port of Alexandria EdP and Antal EdP, and look forward to more exciting olfactory journeys from Estoras in the 2025 Advent Calendar!