The third extension of the Amouage Odyssey collection is called Escape, four scents made to mimic the purpose we seek in life.

The last time we spoke to Renaud Salmon, the Chief Creative Officer of Amouage, we had a conversation about two of its fragrances—the classic woody-spicy one that is Boundless that was created with a burst of joy in mind and Material with its gourmand-like notes of amber and vanilla which was about immateriality. Sure, it might sound a tad too esoteric for basically, what is just a fragrance but you have to remember the genesis of the brand.

Celebrating its 40th year this year, Amouage might not be as long-lived as some of its peers (in context, a similar brand like Abdul Samad Al Qurashi is 171 years old) but the quadragenarian brand has accomplished several feats that most others have not. It has become the stuff of perfume aficionados despite not leveraging its image on celebrity endorsements or heavy advertising, retains its motivation to use only the highest grade of Middle East perfume ingredients (one has to remember that we’re living in an age of intense globalisation), and has remained true to its messaging since day one: restoring the great art of perfumery to the region by thinking of each launch as a gift fit for royalty.

Hello Renaud, I usually like to start a Men’s Folio interview by asking an interviewee to do an elevator pitch for the brand in 10 words or less. So if you could kindly entertain me by explaining it to people experiencing it for the first time.
High perfumery from Oman that’s rich, generous, complex and tasteful.

The first chapter from the Amouage Odyssey Collection: Chapter III ESCAPE launch is Lineage which is described as the scenery of the mineral shores of Masirah. It has salty notes of myrrh and frankincense absolutes with a warm heart of benzoin. 

Given your extensive career across the world and different brands, what are some lessons you’ve learnt and how have you brought them to Amouage?
The number one thing I learnt is the importance of standing for something. The world is a busy place and the luxury industry is crowded and everyone is trying to scream louder than their neighbours.

However, to me, if you want to stand out then you have to be crystal clear in what you stand for and be unique at the same time. Being unique and single-minded in your positioning is important to help master your craft.

Once you have that, your artistic direction will be clear, and this will aid in creating bold things to help you stand out.

Given Amouage’s history of being the brand that gifts kings and upholds the excellence of Arabian perfume culture, how does that translate to both digital and social elements which you especially focus on?
There’s been a change of mindset. Historically, it is true that Amouage has been a favourite of both older and important people. Today, with the internet and the development of Amouage, the notion of exclusivity has moved and does not mean the brand excludes itself from people.

It means excluding mediocrity from what we do and striving to be the very best. That itself is an exclusive positioning from my point of view, and I love that shift of mentality.

The second chapter from the Amouage Odyssey Collection: Chapter III ESCAPE launch is Search which is described as citruses within burning woods. It has a zesty burst of lemon, lime, and mandarin before darkening with burnt cade, spicy guaiac wood, and the smokiness of Hojari frankincense. 

If you consider the House’s fragrances like Boundless to Lyric Man and Interlude Man, who do you think the Amouage man is? What are some of his physical and emotional characteristics?
The Amouage man is one who is not afraid to stand out. If you want to fade into the background and be extremely discreet, or basically be like everyone else, then Amouage is not for you.

The Amouage man wants to stand out for himself and be known for his good taste and right choices, without trying too hard at all.

This tasteful elegance is what defines the Amouage man. He’s daring and likes to explore new territories and try new things, and he wants the very best. You can only wear a limited amount of perfumes in your life. He will go for the best one because it would be a shame to commit to an ordinary scent.

What about the third chapter of the Amouage Odyssey Collection? What is the story here and how would it resonate in Asia?
The first chapter of Odyssey is Renaissance which is the idea of being reborn. The second is about Liberation and now, the third is entitled Escape.

The capacity of people to escape their daily life for a moment, or from one place to another, is actually very important. Everyone should be able to do so from time to time. This is the storytelling through these four fragrances, which conveys a different stage of Escape.

For Lineage, it’s like a foolish promise of an escape. Search asks the question “What are you looking for when you make this escape?” Guidance is like a voice that guides you throughout this escape and Purpose is actually what you find at the end of the escape.

This is a universal concept. In my opinion, the need and desire to escape exists everywhere and is deeply rooted in every human being, throughout the different stages of their life.

In Asia, the people are very hardworking, and at times, there is the question “Am I actually living? What am I chasing?” I can identify with this at times, but personally, I do fully enjoy my work so the work-life balance for me is quite enjoyable.

The third chapter from the Amouage Odyssey Collection: Chapter III ESCAPE launch is Guidance which is described as the delicate strength of feminity. It has the fragility of pear, creaminess of almond milk, and smokiness of frankincense but on its dry down, carnal labdanum comes out to play. 

Could you pick a favourite? And could you also pick one for a local customer here?
It’s difficult to pick a favourite because a lot of work has been put into these four fragrances. Right now, I’m really enjoying Purpose, simply because I find it the most straightforward. It is a meditative, and contemplative take on a fragrance.

It’s a beautiful piece of work from our perfumer, Quentin Bisch, and it includes many interesting facets and a very complex development through the fragrance. It is classy and timeless, but innovative as well.

One that I would recommend people to try, for both men and women, is Guidance. It’s a loud whisper. It’s fragile but strong at the same time. Though it’s in a pink bottle and potentially looks feminine, I know many men who wear this fragrance and get tons of compliments from people who immediately recognise that he has good taste.

How does the House reach out to noses to formulate its fragrances? Is it based on track record or gut instinct? Or perhaps, a mix of both?
A mix of both. At Amouage, we are known to be an amazing house to create for, because I give the perfumers full carte blanche when it comes to the quality of the ingredients and what they can do, and how they want to approach it. They have full creative freedom from a cost point of view.

A lot of perfumers do get frustrated because sometimes they are limited to some ingredients or have to use the ingredients in very small quantities.

How do I choose noses? It really depends on the creative intention. When I have something in mind, and what I envision the character for the fragrance to have and depending on the work of the different perfumers, I try to reach out to the right person who I know will be the perfect partner for that specific fragrance.

This entire process comes very organically.

The fourth chapter from the Amouage Odyssey Collection: Chapter III ESCAPE launch is Purpose which is described as a shamanic awakening. It has the coldness of pink pepper, a recurring note of frankincense, and the heat of sand vetiver blended with an animalic rose. 

What do most people not realise about Royal Frankincense? Beyond being a House classic as seen in Meander, Epic Man, and Interlude Man — what about the ingredient makes it so special?
What people don’t realise is they don’t know the smell of frankincense oil. People assume that it smells like burning smoke because this is the way most people experience the ingredient. They assume every time there is a smoky facet to a fragrance due to the presence of frankincense, but that’s a misconception.

It was particularly important for me to allow people to smell the highest quality of frankincense resin in order to realise the uniqueness of this ingredient. It’s rich and complex as it has notes that are citrusy, spicy, mineral, woody, peppery, and many other facets that will impact the top, heart and base notes of a fragrance.

This is why we love using this ingredient at Amouage. It’s an ingredient that will make every single fragrance more complex and nuanced.

What do you think is next for the brand? Where do you see the journey going and what part would you like to play?
We’re going to keep on pushing for the very best of perfumes. There are many directions of perfumery to still be explored and particularly, a lot from history to be inspired by when it comes to the technicities of perfumes.

When it comes to inspiration, I am still inspired by the Odyssey Collection and the journey is still not finished. The beauty of Amouage is that we have several different collections: Odyssey, Secret Garden, etc, and all of them give us the possibility to explore new creations.

For me, I would like to go back into the history of perfumery and bring back some old techniques to the present. I want to understand what it takes to end the journey of the Odyssey Collection.

Lastly, another way I like to end interviews—do you know the #1 song on your most-played playlist last year?
That’s a good one. I produce the soundtrack for every fragrance and personally, I play a lot of “Crimson Rocks” because it’s my favourite. Even on Spotify, that’s the track that is the most listened to. The Renaissance soundtrack is available on all key platforms, and I really enjoy it.

Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our June/July 2023 issue!