Amouage
How significant is a scent? How important and thrilling can an aroma be? Each person has certain fragrances imprinted in their mind, in their memory, which evoke memories, people, decisive moments, or everyday occurrences. It’s akin to Proust’s madeleine, an experience many of us have had at some point in our lives. Given the importance of these sensations, we must focus on those projects and houses that put maximum effort and care into creating these olfactory imprints, such as Amouage. A few months ago, we introduced this project to you, and now we return to discuss their collection ODYSSEY III: ESCAPE.
This collection aims to be an olfactory journey that traverses the surroundings of the Sultanate of Oman (where Amouage is based), celebrating the people, the dunes, the coast, and all of Oman’s natural treasures. It reflects their heritage, translated into this collection and the more than sixty unique perfumes of the house. This uniqueness is not only evident in their scents and jewel-like bottles but also in the philosophy shared by the entire team of the house.
When we spoke with Renaud Salmon, Chief Experience Officer and Creative Director, we asked about the future goals for Amouage. He told us that his desire is for Amouage to be known worldwide, though he is very aware that an expanding international presence could pose a risk to the house’s essence. Therefore, his intention is to steer the creative direction towards strengthening that essence, making it something unique and easy to appreciate in the perfume industry. “I want to stay committed to what I am doing and not to what others are doing,” Salmon confessed to us.
This explains the bridge they have built between tradition and modernity, without abandoning the unique palette of ingredients that represent them. In the case of Chapter III of The Odyssey, they sought that reminiscence given only by perception, like smell, to open windows to the past without forsaking the complexity of the present. The creative goal of the collection is to explore introspective concepts, a purpose hinted at in the names of each bottle: Search, Guidance, Purpose, and Lineage.
Both Guidance and Purpose were created by Perfumer Quentin Bisch. While Guidance evokes the captivating triad with which Amouage has already worked, such as rose, incense, and ambergris, Purpose energizes and envelops like glacial air, a freshness given by pink pepper and bergamot that contrasts with the smoky solidity of incense. The other two fragrances, Lineage and Search, were created by perfumers Karine Vinchon-Spehner and Alexis Grugeon, respectively. Karine opted for salty and mineral warmth, achieved with Sichuan pepper, fresh ginger, and sea foam. Grugeon, on the other hand, emphasized vibrant lemon and lime, fused with mandarin and its bittersweet peel.
What better way to conclude this olfactory journey, which our words have only just begun, than with the explanation of the creative mind behind the project, Renaud Salmon: “When exploring Oman, one often feels the urge to touch treasures in a very pure way. Many of my ideas come from traveling alone, going somewhere. The third chapter of The Odyssey collection emulates this escapism and the memorable scent of Oman. This collection is a singular and introspective olfactory journey that should evoke successive feelings of curiosity with Lineage, courage with Search, inner triumph with Guidance, and a sense of awakening with Purpose. By focusing this collection on the arid Omani island of Masirah, I wanted to pay homage to Amouage’s roots in a contemporary language, staying true to the spirit of the Maison, or ‘wave,’ to unite cultures and generations.”