I didn’t find the brand Anka Kuş on my own. My brother did. He’s the adventurous one, always on the hunt for obscure, story-rich perfumes that most people haven’t heard of. I’m the opposite: I like my fragrances feminine, pretty, and polished. I want them to be wearable and transparent, not just in their scent, but in how they’re made. Still, when he sent me a link to Anka Kuş and said, “You have to talk to this guy,” I listened.
That’s how I met Ali Erkeli, the Turkish-Australian founder of Anka Kuş, and one of the most soulful, exacting artists working in perfumery today. His answers to my questions came back brimming with candor and intensity. I wasn’t prepared for how much of himself he pours into his work. Now, I think everyone deserves to meet his brand, and more importantly, his process.
A Brand Forged in Loss, and Art
Ali wasn’t always the mind behind Anka Kuş. Before founding his solo line, he was Al Manlé, one half of Fort & Manlé Parfum, a quirky brand with a cult following and a jester’s charm. “We weren’t part of the ruling class,” he said of their ethos. “We were the ones who humoured the King.”
But when the partnership fractured, Ali lost everything, his name, his creative platform, and years of work. What followed was two years of rebuilding. Emotionally and artistically, he started over. From that fire, Anka Kuş, the phoenix in Turkish folklore, was born. “The logo is autobiographical,” he told me. “I am the phoenix.”
A Perfumer Who Paints in Scent
Ali doesn’t just compose fragrances. He sketches their covers. Each scent begins with an idea, a story, a theme, a figure from history or myth, and unfolds as both a scent and a visual. He hand-draws each label in black and white, then passes the designs to his son Kerim, who digitally paints them.
It’s more than a brand identity. It’s a process of immersion.
“I’m a very visual animal,” he said. “Before I even start mixing, I surround myself with printouts, books, art. I write down how I want the fragrance to unfurl. Then I start sketching. It all happens together.”
This makes each bottle more than a pretty object, it’s a collectible work of narrative art.
The Fragrance That Took Years to Finish
This Ember was supposed to be his debut. “It had to be stunning,” he said. “It had to do the phoenix justice.” But after months of tinkering, he shelved it. The scent wasn’t ready. Neither was he. He returned to it two years later, and only then did the story come together.
That fragrance became his bestselling release, and a finalist for the Art & Olfaction Awards. It opens with glowing embers and dry spices, unfolding into a smoldering blend of woods and resin, as if echoing the process of reinvention. Today, it’s the best place to start if you want to understand what Anka Kuş is all about.
Fragrance as Character Study
What’s remarkable about Ali’s work is how narrative it is. Jezebel, one of his most daring perfumes, combines lush Damask rose and heady jasmine with carnation, osmanthus, and a jolt of oregano, a surprising twist that adds character and cunning. Ismail Efendi: The Rose Bandit was inspired by a real-life Ottoman figure known for stealing roses; the scent is opulent, layered, and edged with spice.
Vétivérité, on the other hand, is his take on green freshness, bright, vivacious vetiver softened with gentle woods and a crystalline lift that feels like walking through a garden after rain. It’s a perfect scent for women who want clarity, composure, and quiet sophistication.
A Moment in Manhattan, a personal favorite, blends blueberry, musk, and suede for a suave, cosmopolitan presence. Think: this season’s tailored blazer, a bold red lip, and a rooftop dinner at golden hour.
What Makes It Different
Ali doesn’t want to be trendy. He doesn’t want to follow the market. “If I want to wear it, that’s my yardstick,” he told me. That means some of his creations are divisive. That’s intentional. They’re meant to be art, not watered-down “mass niche.”
He also refuses to hide how his perfumes are made. In a market where brands outsource to anonymous labs and hide behind vague “Made in France” labels, Ali is transparent: he creates, formulates, sketches, and directs the entire brand himself.
For women over 40, those of us who have refined our taste, curated our closets, and want meaning behind what we wear, this matters. We’re not just buying scent; we’re buying story, origin, and integrity.
The Future of the Phoenix
Next up is Regal Drift, a limited-edition perfume built around natural ambergris (in grey, gold, and brown forms), and smoky oud. It promises a textured, animalic richness, perfect for autumn layering and bold evenings. The brand is also undergoing a full packaging upgrade, from custom bottles to luxury caps, ensuring the exterior matches the depth within.
Ali is planning a faith-based fragrance series inspired by the Abrahamic religions, and dreaming of a scent that captures the moment Constantinople became Istanbul. And yes, he’s open to collaborating with filmmakers, musicians, and artists who share his reverence for story.
If you’re curious where to begin, Ali suggests four: This Ember, Jezebel, A Moment in Manhattan, and Vétivérité. Each one tells its own story, and together, they offer a window into a mind where art, scent, and history intersect.
Why It Belongs in Your Collection
If you’re like me, someone who loves perfume but wants more than just a pretty bottle or a trendy note, Anka Kuş is worth your time. It’s not just fragrance. It’s soul work.
It’s also smart collecting. These are limited production, hard-to-find fragrances. Some are available at select boutiques and through the brand’s own website, with prices ranging from $185 to $250 USD for 50ml bottles, fair for the level of artistry and raw materials involved.
Ali doesn’t manufacture fantasy. He makes something rarer: perfumes that tell the truth about the people who create them. And that, in today’s market, is revolutionary.
As one early collector put it: “Wearing This Ember feels like stepping into your own comeback story.”
Classification
Primary Category: Independent, Narrative‑Driven Artisan Niche
Secondary Tags: Founder‑Led, Hand‑Illustrated Branding, Ingredient‑Centered, Limited Edition, 100% Naturals & Absolutes, Conceptual Storytelling, Melbourne Craftsmanship
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