IN CONVERSATION WITH RENAUD SALMON
interview NATALIE GAL
Renaud Salmon joined the grand perfumery house Amouage in 2019, bringing with him an artistic vision I would describe as era-defining. It is rare to encounter such creative insight, and it was a true pleasure to meet him in Hamburg for the launch of his latest creations, the final chapter of The Odyssey Collection: Decision and Existence.
We spoke about the new collection and the inspirations behind it. What struck me as particularly fascinating is how the collection is divided into chapters, each shaped by literature, art, childhood memories, and journeys that left a lasting impression on him. Our conversation also touched on the deep cultural roots of Oman, the dialogue between Orient and Occident, and the magic that each perspective brings to perfumery.
The Odyssey Collection begins with Chapter I – Renaissance. How did that era influence the creation of the fragrance? What does “Renaissance” mean to you personally?
The Odyssey Collection truly began for me when I moved to Oman six years ago. It was both a professional and personal turning point, the beginning of a new chapter at Amouage, but also a moment of transformation in my own life. Creating Renaissance felt like the natural way to mark that sense of rebirth.
Most of my fragrances in this collection come from personal experience, and when I arrived in Oman, I had the strong feeling of starting over, of being reborn. That is why Renaissance became the first stage of the journey, it symbolizes the moment when everything begins again.
It was also very fitting in the context of Oman itself. The country experienced its own Renaissance when Sultan Qaboos took power just over fifty years ago, reshaping and modernizing the nation. So “Renaissance” was not only a personal theme for me, but one deeply rooted in Omani history. From both perspectives, my own and the country’s, it felt like the right starting point for The Odyssey Collection.
The collection continues with Chapter II – Escape and Chapter III – Eternity. The structure feels almost like chapters in a book, telling a larger story. How do you see the role of storytelling in perfumery?
Storytelling is vital in perfumery. Today, we are surrounded by an endless stream of new launches, and for me, as a creative director, it’s important to offer more than just a formula. A fragrance should carry a narrative that helps people connect emotionally with it.
If you think about the way fragrances are often described, by listing notes, it doesn’t really convey the feeling. A list of twelve ingredients doesn’t help you imagine the soul of a perfume. But a story does. A story can immediately suggest how the fragrance might behave: whether it’s soft like a poem, or an an epic journey.
Is there a particular story, whether from your own life, literature, or history, that has deeply inspired your creative journey?
Absolutely, many stories, from literature to history, have shaped my creative work. For example, the Library Collection takes it’s inspiration from books, knowledge, and the pursuit of wisdom. Works like Stendhal’s Le Rouge et le Noir.
One of the most powerful inspirations, though, came from One Thousand and One Nights and the story of Scheherazade. She was expected to die after a single night, yet she survived through her strength and intelligence, simply by not telling the end of the story. I think this is one of the most beautiful stories out there. At first glance, she seems fragile and vulnerable, but in reality she embodies resilience and power.
This became the concept behind Guidence, one of our most beloved fragrances. The perfume behaves much like Scheherazade herself: it begins as a whisper, but gradually reveals itself as something strong, diffusive, and long-lasting.
Amouage fragrances draw on raw materials from around the world: rose from Bulgaria, iris from Florence, vetiver from Haiti, frankincense from Oman, among others. How do you decide which regions to work with? What do these places symbolize to you, tradition, natural beauty, cultural history?
The philosophy at Amouage has always been to embrace creativity without limits, and that extends to our ingredients. While Oman plays a key role, we do source some materials locally, such as frankincense, the palette we work with is incredibly broad, often up to 700 ingredients, both natural and synthetic.
When it comes to natural ingredients in particular, the choice usually lies with the perfumer. Each perfumer has a vision for the character of their formula. For example, we use about ten different varieties of jasmine, each with its own personality. It truly depends on the perfumer.
So the decision is less about restricting ourselves to certain geographies and more about giving perfumers the freedom to work with whatever inspires them. That said, sourcing from around the world also connects us to the heritage, history, and natural beauty of different regions. Every material carries with it centuries of tradition and culture. In the end, Amouage’s role is to honor those stories while ensuring our fragrances are the purest expressions of creativity possible.
The House is guided by the principle of “The Gift of Kings,” a legacy deeply rooted in Omani culture and history. Could you tell us more about this philosophy and how it shapes Amouage’s vision today?
The name Amouage itself comes from this idea, “The Gift of Kings.” When the House was founded in 1983, it wasn’t created as a commercial brand. The late Sultan Qaboos envisioned fragrances that would serve as a gift, a gesture of honor, to those visiting Oman. At the time, you couldn’t buy Amouage; it was reserved for special guests of the Sultan, who would receive a fragrance like Gold Man or Gold Woman as a symbol of the country’s hospitality.
Of course, as those recipients returned to their own countries wearing these extraordinary perfumes, word spread, and demand grew. Eventually, the decision was made to share Amouage with the world, but the philosophy never changed. Each fragrance is an ambassador of Oman, carrying with it values of generosity, hospitality, kindness, and solidarity.
The Library Collection seems particularly fascinating. Could you tell us more about its philosophy and about Opus XVI: Timber?
The Library Collection has always been about knowledge, that’s why we use the metaphor of a library. With Opus XVI: Timber, I wanted to focus on one particular dimension of knowledge: wisdom. The question is — how do you talk about wisdom with a fragrance?
For me, the best analogy came from giant trees. A few years ago, I visited the U.S. national parks and stood before sequoias that were thousands of years old. They were awe-inspiring: immense, timeless, and profoundly silent witnesses to history. These trees had seen countless generations, wars, and eras pass, yet they stood firm and tall. At first they seem monolithic, but as you get closer you start to see the nuances, the lines, the personality of the tree.
That became the concept for Timber. At first, it smells monolithic, a woody fragrance. But as the fragrance unfolds, it reveals nuance after nuance. Notes of cypress, juniper berries, resins like balsam, and warm touches of vanilla and patchouli. What begins as a single woody scent transforms into a story of many layers.
For me, cypress in particular carries a personal meaning. In Belgium, where I grew up, our garden was bordered by a fence of cypress. I remember trimming it with my father and the sharp smell of the branches. We would burn the clippings, and the smoke left an unforgettable scent. Even today, whenever I crush cypress needles between my fingers and feel the smell.
CREDITS
photography SHELBY DUNCAN
